


Retrograde

by winterfrostwidow



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Blackfrost - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2020-01-15 01:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 42,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18488461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterfrostwidow/pseuds/winterfrostwidow
Summary: Loki had been banished from Asgard and dumped onto the one planet he hated as punishment for his unforgivable sins - with Natasha Romanova there to gloat about it. This man had alarmed everyone when he showed up all beaten up and broken, yet she was the only one to not pity the fallen god.Unfortunately for her, her desires for the god to be discarded were not met and Loki was regarded more useful when a new threat surfaced.These two hated each other, but their lethal minds were sharp and thought alike.But what would happen if they saw beyond their differences? Could these cold liars trust each other?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is heavily inspired by a fanfiction called 'Exclusive Rights' written by Literary Melody. Though unfinished, it's a masterpiece.

Natasha was the only one with a poker face when they mentioned that Loki was back, found broken and drastically injured in a desert in New Mexico.

Her blank exterior contrasted with the rest of the Avengers who looked either very displeased or shocked to hear about that psycho after 18 months without hearing his name.  
SHIELD wasn't impressed either. 

Nick was ready to send him into a glass cage the very moment he was taken in. He was even considering giving the bastard an execution the second he was told by a saddened Thor that Odin had banished him here on Earth to make up for the damage he'd done.

It was a delicious treat for her after a weary week of mission after mission, and dealing with the childishness of her new teammates - she was going to have to depart from the boy-band very soon.

The news of the fallen god was quite entertaining that she couldn't stay away.  
  
  


"Well what can I say, karma's a bitch," she said with an infuriating small smirk when she stepped into the secured room where Loki was held captive in a glass cage.

He was slumping his back against the surface behind him. She saw him grin. Though weakened, he still sat like a King with his long legs spread apart. It was a posture that would make any woman blush, but not her.

He grunted as he straightened to look at her properly. "You," he said with a deep painful voice.

"Yes, me," she smiled at him. "Happy to see me?"

There were deep cuts across his face, a swelling dark purple bruise over his half closed eye.

She didn't feel sorry for him. He damn well deserved whatever happened to his sorry ass.

"Oh no." He chuckled merrily, then coughed painfully. She lifted an amused eyebrow. He spoke, his voice raspy, "A displeasure seeing you, as I've already endured enough pain, you can see. But after all I've been through, I am led right back here, right back to you."

"But isn't that great? Poetic, I mean."

He smirked. "What are you going about, Widow?"

"Remember when I was a pain in your neck? When I discovered your little scheme to escape and destroy the Helicarrier? It all happened right here. I stood where I'm standing now. You were in that glass cage, where you are now. And this time, you're fucked."

"Elaborate the term 'fucked', and how it coincides with me," he spoke with an easy grin.

"What goes around comes back around," she said with a relaxed face.

He snorted. "So I'm 'fucked', you say? What, by you? You're here now, so I guess I must be mighty fucked by the spider."

She stared at him coldly for his insinuation. "Don't be a fool, Loki. You know exactly what I meant."

"Karma, you mean?" His expression turned serious.

She shrugged, before crossing her arms over her chest. "It's how it works, right?"

"Is that so?" Despite the pain he was going through he still didn't lose his touch. "Talking from experience, Agent Romanov? You & I are no different. Tell me, was yours ever worse than receiving a silly beating for destroying an entire city?" He chuckled again which was cut off with a fit of coughs.

"You find destruction funny," she said with disgust.

"Oh, I do. Sorry to disappoint you, darling," he said with contempt, his exterior turning icy.

"I'm not surprised."

"And what have you been contributing to before your precious _Barton_ ," he spat that name, "showed up? Was it not destruction as well? I believe that you have killed more than I have," he growled.

She narrowed her eyes, and he smiled.

"Oh don't tell me," he stood up with a groan, holding his side, and he walked closer, "I know enough of your macabre past deeds to know you were just a puppet for another uninspired system. And you still are."

"I'm not pathetic like you. A once pampered prince with daddy issues, spending centuries trying to remove himself from his brother's shadow. His jealousy so consuming that he's driven to obsession and insanity. Then you're going to play the victim when things don't go your way. And now look at you. You've totally ran out of excuses. Everyone knows what you are. Don't think I don't know about your heritage." 

She watched the expressions on his face in pleasure, her words having gotten to him. 

He _hated_ her.

He slammed his fist against the glass, making her jerk back.

"You impudent bitch!"

"Oh that's new. Not settling for the mewling quim again? Ran out of creativity?" She quipped.

"I swear I will break out of this incarceration and burn you to crisp!"

"Crisp?" She mocked. "Wow, you really have changed."  

He glared at her. 

"What? Did I hurt you?"

"When I get out of here you'll be the first one I'll kill!"

She smirked, infuriating him even more. "Yeah, I've heard that one before, mostly from men in your situation."

He was shaking.

She quirked an eyebrow.

"You are no one to judge me! By all that you have done," he snarled. "Despite our different backgrounds, we are of the same nature. You are arrogant, you love power. You crave for the upperhand. Even now you feel as if you sit on a throne of power, knowing you are the only mortal - the only soul alive - to best the Trickster. A god, a being above you. You enjoyed every kill as a young girl, loving the attention and praise it brought you from your Red Room superiors. You like watching the life fade from the eyes of your enemies. Does Fury know? Does he know that you are still a possible threat? You think separating yourself from me, from people like you & I, takes away all that you have done? For every jab you strike me with, Agent Romanov, you end up striking yourself. I am your mirror."

"You & I are nothing alike," she responded coolly, her face tight with a scowl.

"Deny it all you want but we are cut from the same cloth."

Her heart was thumping in unhealthy speed. But she wasn't going to let him win.

She snorted. An unladylike sort of laugh that made him even more angry. "You see what I mean? Pathetic. This is exactly what I'm talking about. You are pathetic, Loki. Don't drag me into your freaky category. Don't you ever compare yourself to me. I know you do that because you're lonely and seek some kind of belonging. Just like old days, right? I'm sure that feeling will never go away."

If looks could kill, Natasha would be on the floor.

He gave the most intimidating death stare. "That is all you do, isn't it?" He snarled softly, reeking of an anger that trembled beneath his skin. "Run away from your problems. You won't even swallow the truth. You will use words against me to brush off the effect of mine, so that you won't have to grasp the truth. But you know. You know what you are, Agent Romanov."

"I'm done talking to your sorry ass now." She couldn't be here another second. "Being here and watching you like this might just make me cry," she quipped.

"I don't need your sympathy," he spat.

"Oh, honey, but you have it. I pity you. I really, really do," she lied. 

No, she felt something else. Something far worse. 

She smiled at his grumpy appearance before turning to leave. Then she was surprised with his taunting chuckle following her as she left. 

"What a freak," she murmured. 

That creep had gotten under her skin. She had walked in that room very confident only to leave feeling disgustingly insecure. She scoffed at such emotions. She was not going to be made a weak woman out of, and definitely not by that psycho. She was not going to allow it.  
  


"Natasha?" 

She stopped and turned around. Steve.

"Oh. You. What's going on, Captain Rogers?"

"Are you alright?" He frowned and stepped closer. 

"I'm fine. Did something happen?" 

"I should ask you."

She raised an eyebrow.

He noticed how pale she looked, the anger flaming in her green eyes. He sighed. "You gave Loki a visit, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. It was a mistake. My own fault. I walked into the lion's den," she drawled, "Dumb, right?"

"Did he do something to you? What happened?"

He was getting a little protective, which kind of irked her. 

"Nothing happened, Rogers. I could deal with that jackass just fine." She didn't mean to snap at him, but Loki was driving her crazy. She hated him. She despised him with every fiber of her body. Which she realized was a problem. Even if it was hate, it was still an attachment. That could compromise her. 

Loki was the first enemy she'd ever felt anything for, and that scared her.   
  


She quickly walked away before Steve could further display his worry for her. She wasn't interested. She just wanted time alone to think about her dialogue with Loki. 

Oh that bastard had spoken alright.


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha was vexed.

She slammed the doors of her sleeping quarters shut and almost ripped the zip of her catsuit off, stripping naked before climbing into a cold shower. She thought that the spray of cold water would cool her off but it only made matters worse. Loki was unavoidable. There was not a single safe place in her mind.

She analyzed every word he said, questioning herself, instead of suppressing everything away.

Some of what he said was true. Maybe she was a little smug about everything. 

But he crossed the line bringing up her past. The sick bastard.  
  
  
  


She slipped under the bed covers after dressing into her nightgown, still drying her wet short curls with a towel. She carelessly tossed the towel to a corner and laid back, causing a small soak on the pillow. 

She closed her eyes. 

How the hell did he know everything about her? Things even Clint didn't know and wouldn't have possibly told him when he was under his mind-control. 

How would he know how she felt when she killed people? Were his words even true? 

Why did it feel like he knew more about her than she liked and ever did? 

Natasha felt a bubble of panic in her chest.  
  


She touched her chest, rolling her lip in disgust for such a weak evoke of an emotion.

Just what the _hell_ was she panicking for now?  
  


Time had passed and she couldn't catch sleep.  
  


She clenched her jaw and angrily threw the covers off of her, peeling off the bed and grabbing the night robe.   
  
  


She was in over her head for going back there. She couldn't give a damn. She didn't stop walking around the quarters of the Helicarrier to Loki's lovely fortress.

She typed in the passcode of the room and the black steel doors pried apart for her. She marched in.

He was laying on the bench in his glass cage, one foot to the floor and the other leg bended on the bench. His arms were crossed and resting beneath his head, his eyes appearing closed.

She narrowed her eyes, because he was pretend-sleeping.

Then a small smile etched on his face.

"So you've come for more," he spoke with amusement, his voice smoother. He sat up elegantly without a groan, the atmosphere around him reeking of royalty.

The hate that surged through her was so strong, she was surprised she managed to still her frame from trembling.  
  


The  wounds and bruises on his face had minimised. The main qualities of a god was the fast healing, obviously. But she did wish he suffered much longer.  
  


"We weren't done with our conversation," she finally replied to him, giving him a cold stare.

"I hoped so. I couldn't wait to see you again," he said sarcastically, grinning as he leaned his elbow on his thigh. He stared at her, gaze piercing. "What did you come here for, Agent Romanov?" 

She stared at him blankly.

He raised an eyebrow. "If your purpose here is just to stare at me, then please proceed that activity, by all means."

"I'm not surprised at all that you think you're hot shit," she began.

She didn't even know why she was here.

Loki laughed. "No, I do not think that I'm 'hot shit'. I'm certain Thor took the spotlight for that one."

"He makes a better man than you anyway."

"Thor is not on my level, darling. None of you are," he said, the amusement in his eyes beginning to flicker off. "If you want him so badly then scram and go get him. You'll just be one of the few hundreds of harlots after him. They are welcome to joining newcomers, Agent Romanov."

"Being in a club with a bunch of whores after one guy is better than ever picking you. It's the best option any woman would be comfortable with picking."

"Then be my guest," he spat. "Although I should warn you that he favours the brunettes."

Natasha stared at him blankly, such a creepy quiet gaze. 

He was the first to look away, breaking into a brief chuckle. "How petty."

"Even petty shit works on you."

"Petty matters don't faze me, I just hate you," he said flatly with a scowl. "Are you going to tell me what you are doing here? Are you here to throw toddler insults at me, Agent Romanov?"

She looked away from him and took the stool positioned in front his glass cage, dragging it closer before she sat. She crossed her one leg over the other and Loki didn't miss that move, the end of her green nightgown hiking up over her thighs. Her skin looked soft and warm, a beautiful contrast to the colour of her nightgown. She was lovely in green.

For all he knew, she probably came down here to seduce him in the name of her job.

He couldn't trust her. He wouldn't trust anybody.  
  


"I don't really know what I'm doing here," she admitted with a scowl, "maybe I came to gloat."

"Again?" He quirked an eyebrow.

She shrugged.

He grinned. "Oh no. You don't know what your purpose with me is here. Interesting. Usually you are confident and straight."

"I still am."

"Not so much."

"Maybe that's what I want you to think."

"Agent Romanov, you are purposeless. Perhaps you should go," he replied in amusement. 

"I'll leave whenever I damn well please," she said coolly, annoyed by him trying to chase her off. "I actually do have a purpose here. I have a question."

Though Loki found the quick change of that answer quite hilarious, he was curious. "Go on then."

"I'll go on when I want," she snapped.

"Don't get adorable with me, darling."

She glared at him for stretched seconds. Then she cleared her throat before she spoke, "Do you think you know me better than myself?" She raised her chin up as she asked this.

He chuckled. "I know more than you'd like."

She looked unsatisfied by the answer.

"But you knew exactly what I'd say."

Yes, she did.

She scowled.

"What? Is that why you couldn't sleep? Your mind is occupied with me?"

"No," she snapped, a little too defensively. He didn't believe her, that was why he chuckled again.

"No need to be ashamed. You too were upon my thoughts. You know me better than Thor. You have more ways of getting through me more than I'd like. And I know how to push the confident Black Widow to the edge. But that is why you came here, isn't it?" He elegantly stood up like a prince, nearing the glass. He pinned her with his powerful gaze. "You crave for more. You like it when I drive you crazy." 

"What is your point, asshole?" She snarled.

"My point, little spider, is that you are here because you are alone. You want to be understood, even if the consequences could cost your sanity." He grinned wickedly. 

"Huh," she quipped, "so that's how it is now. You're going to use your problem and accuse me of the same thing. That's you, Loki. You're the one who wants to be understood. Are you really that desperate?" She cocked her head at him.

"I am not going to let you do that, little spider. You aren't going to anger me."

"You're delusional," she smirked.

"And you're in denial. That's why you couldn't sleep. My words haunt you."

She stood up, fierceness blazing in her green eyes, her fists clenched at her sides. "Your words mean jackshit. Don't you think for a second any of them affected me."

His cold eyes trailed down her angry demeanor in scrutiny, before he laughed. "You're giving yourself out, do you realize?"

She was slipping. 

Shit.

She was letting him win.

"Monsters usually befriend other monsters to rid of the loneliness they suffer," he spoke, "That is why you are here, correct?"

She glowered up at him. "You are pathetic."

"And so are you." He smiled. "Until next time, Agent Romanov." With a small bow of his head, he turned around and graciously laid back on the bench. He closed his eyes and pretended she wasn't there, dismissing her.

She stormed off. His chuckle, once again, followed her.


	3. Chapter 3

_"So you've come for more," he began with amusement. He sat up elegantly from the bench, the atmosphere around him reeking of royalty._

_She crossed her arms._

_"Come to agree?"_

_"Agree? Agree on what?"_

_He raised an eyebrow. "You know exactly what."_

_"You couldn't be any more wrong about you and I."_

_"Keep thinking that. You only prove my other point."_

_"And that is?"_

_"You're in denial."_

_She glared at him._

_"What are you doing here, little spider?"_

_"I came to see you."_

_He raised his eyebrows, pleased. "See me?"_

_"I miss you. How weird is that?"_

_He chuckled. "I'm terribly flattered."_

_"I'd be."_

_"Well I am. And I couldn't wait to see you again," he said with a naughty smile as his eyes trailed down her hourglass frame with appreciation. "Did you intentionally adorn yourself in such a colour for me? Because I'm starting to think your purpose here is rather amorous."_

_Her lips parted._

_He elegantly folded his hands behind his back._

_His sharp eyes averted to her face, and he sent her a dark look._

_"Excuse me?" She refrained from covering herself away from his dark, provoking eyes. She was in only a thin layers of silk. She felt more conscious of herself, despite the night robe covering her._

_He raised his brows. "Are you sure you're not trying to manipulate me?"_

_"You're a dirty bastard."_

_He narrowed his eyes. "I learned long ago to never underestimate you again. So excuse me for being cautious."_

_She snorted. "There are other ways to screw with your head. I don't have to sleep with you, dickhead. Plus, you're not my type," she said, although he had triggered an idea in her._

_" 'Your type' ?" He rolled his lip. "I do not care for your kind anyway," he snapped._

_She put her hands on her hips, arching her back a little. "What makes you think you aren't like any other man? I am a desirable woman, after all."_

_"An overconfident manipulative shrew." He glared at her for that little move; her bosom forward. He was not going to become undone by a mortal woman like Thor. Loki refused._

_She smirked. "Still a desirable woman."_

_"I don't think you understand what I meant by that. You see, I am not attracted to you for the fact that you are a viper."_

_"Oh I understand."_

_"Do you?"_

_"Yeah. Feeling's mutual. I don't do sociopaths."_

_Now it was his turn to smirk. "You mean someone much like yourself."_

_She smiled deviously. She, not very subtly, trailed her hand down from her neck to the seam where her breasts were upward._

_He was silent, glowering as she teased. Her hand went further down to the rope tightened around her waist, and slowly, she unfastened it._

_Loki frowned, reluctant. "This must be a dream of some sort," he murmured, but she heard right._

_"Is it?" She asked seductively._

_He cocked his head at her. "Well why would you possibly do this? Unless you want to get back at me for your darling birdman."_

_"Hmm." She shrugged the robe off, leaving her only in her small nightgown. "Maybe."_

_Loki sharply sucked a breath in as he stared at her body. Tempting, very tempting. Too bad he hated her._

_"Go away, Agent Romanov. I've had enough of you now," he said, turning his back on her._

_Natasha glared at his back. "Are you sure?"_

_"I'm not falling for those weak tactics you use on your mortal men," he snapped, sitting on the bench arrogantly, "Have you any idea who I am?"_

_"Surely a man who's never touched a woman for a long time."_

_"I don't need one," he spat._

_"Doubt you last in bed anyway," she murmured just loud enough, retrieving her robe and putting it back on._

_He was getting more offended. "Don't tempt me, Agent Romanov."_

_"You're too weak of a man to be. You know for a fact you can't claim a woman for yourself," she cruelly mocked him with a dark intention, a trap set for him, "No wonder your brother gets all the attention—" Her speech was cut off by his hand around her throat. He'd suddenly vanished from the cage to be in her presence._

_He lowered his head. "You are manipulating me, aren't you?"_

_She stared back at him with a taunting smirk, making him apply more pressure as he strangled her._

_"I won't allow that to happen again," he whispered in her ear._

Jackass _, she bitterly thought._

_She didn't choke, or struggle against him. Instead she reached her hand up to touch his cheek. The gentle contact seized him. He blinked, for a moment. Then he shoved her back._

_She was finally able to breathe as she stumbled back. She coughed hard. She rubbed her neck, and looked back at him._

_He was scowling at her. "Don't you ever touch me again."_

_"Too much for you?" She smirked, pressing on. "Of course it is, for a weak boy."_

_"You are asking for death, woman," he threatened._

_"Your feelings hurt?"_

_He clenched his fists._

_She quirked an eyebrow. "Well?"_

_"I hate you!" He snarled._

_"Come here then." She stepped forward. "Come on."_

_There was something dark and sinister switching in his eyes._

_And in a second, she was slammed against a wall. Her hands were quickly pinned above her head in a vice-like grip. He was all over her. She could feel his weight against her body. His cool breath brushed gently on her parted lips. Her green eyes darted between his. "And?"_

_"You are infuriating."_

_She smirked._

_She tried to wriggle out of his grip so that she could touch him. He didn't allow it._

_"I would hurt you, Agent Romanov."_

_"What, you have a big one? Because you're a demigod?"_

_Then he became a little smug. "Losing your ability to walk is nothing to jest about."_

_She laughed. She couldn't hold it, she really couldn't. But she stopped herself immediately, and then gave him a straight face._

_He smirked._

_"Fine then. Kiss me."_

_"I'll have you when I want," he snapped._

_She narrowed her eyes._

_Well, damn him. He was smarter than she thought._

_"Let go of me," she ordered, trying to remove her hands from his grip._

_"Manipulative viper," he just had to jibe as he released her. For the mere fact that she was planning to bruise his already bruised ego._

_He stepped back. "I won't be played again, do you understand?"_

_She returned him a blank stare. "I don't have to understand shit."_

_The nerve of her. Angrily, he grabbed her chin and pulled her face close to his. "Once I have you, I will make you beg," he snarled harshly._

_Her hand had flew up to wrap around his wrist. She stared up at him defiantly._

_"I will show you brutality that your puny Red Room men failed to execute. You will pay for your arrogance, for your childish thoughts of beating me. I am out of your match." He earned a sultry gasp from her when his hand trailed further up to the inside of her thigh, their eyes locked on each other. "You've picked the wrong target, darling."_

_Something tightened in her chest, staring at the anger and power in his eyes, the anger and frustration that she had caused. She couldn't handle any of it, as she found herself sinking into the lustful urge. She grabbed his throat and pulled him in a harsh kiss. Loki growled and roughly pulled back to give her a dark glare._

_"Asshole," she muttered._

_"Wench," he grumbled back._

_At once they smashed their mouths and they held on to one another, squeezing and clawing nails into each other. Natasha kneed him with a nudge to twist them around, so she slammed him against the wall. She b_ _alled his long black hair into her fists and mounted him. He caught her legs and held them to the side of his hips. She bit his bottom lip to draw some blood. She moaned, the sound shaking him. H_ _e roughly spun them back around, violently slamming her against the near wall again. She groaned_ _when he pulled away, and their eyes connected as their ragged breathing surrounded them._

_His brows creased. "You are playing a dangerous game, little spider."_

_Swallowing hard before lifting her chin up, straightening her spine a little while she was still carried in his arms, she smirked and smoothly responded, "You think I care?"_

_A wicked grin slowly spread on his face, his green eyes more angry. "You forget who I am."_

_She raised an eyebrow. "And you forget what I do to someone like you."_

_He chuckled darkly. "Remind me again."_

_She gave him a sultry look, brow sharp  and arched up. "What do you think?"_   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Loki rose his back from the bench, wide awake from the dream. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He blinked, and he sucked his bottom lip, only to taste blood.

He frowned as he straightened.

Huh.

He touched his bottom lip and brought his fingers to view. There was a small red on the pad of his index finger.

He scowled, and began remembering the kiss.

Even in a pointless dream the Black Widow was an infuriating vixen as she was in reality.

The shrew was a constant thought in his mind. He was doomed enough to let that hellcat linger in his head for minutes, nevermind the seducing dream.

He found himself clenching his fists.

Hel would have to freeze over before he obsessed over that mortal witch.

Loki vowed to get his revenge. Dream or not she had messed with the wrong demigod. She was going to pay and he was going to make sure of that. He smirked deviously as he thought.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Natasha's eyes had snapped open to the dark of her sleeping quarters. She sat up and scowled.

Did that really happen or was it a dream?

Remembering the kiss, she doubted it was real.

Natasha traced her mouth with her fingers though, feeling some tingles still there.

 _Kissing Loki_.

Not in a million years.

She scoffed, but felt differently.

She was getting disgusted by not just dreaming that, but feeling a certain type of way about it.

"Disgusting ," she found herself snapping.

Disgusting indeed.

She scratched her head and yawned.

Well, fuck it.

She looked at the digital clock on the steel desk near. It was 6:34. 

She threw off the covers and got up from her makeshift bed. She pushed up the slides on the wall revealing squared windows. Early weak morning light seeped into her room.

She took a quick cold shower as usual and dried herself with a towel when she was done.

She went to the basin mirror and grabbed her tooth brush and paste. When she glanced at the mirror again, she stopped. She frowned. She mouthed a Russian curse word. She leaned closer to the mirror.

What the _fuck_ was up with her neck?

She dropped the items from her hands and rubbed the reddness around her throat.

And then she remembered the dream even more clearly. When he first touched her, and strangled her.

Maybe she was reaching too far connecting the dots like that but her neck was just fine the last time she was awake.

She fumed. Her eyes blazed with fury. Her face turned red as her blood boiled. "Loki," she snarled.

She stormed out of her sleeping quarters after she was dressed, startling agents on the way. She marched to the room Loki was held, and she was going to give that mind-hacker a piece of her. She cocked her gun. 


	4. Chapter 4

Loki was already standing. His hands were folded behind his back, an unsurprised look on his face when she stormed in with her gun aimed at him.

He merely arched a black brow. "And now?" 

He involuntarily caught his breath when she fired shots at the glass, his eyes widening only slighty. His body didn't twitch an inch, but she very well alarmed him.

"You creepy lunatic!" She growled, gun held tightly. Her eyes were clear and angry.

He laughed in amusement. 

"You think this is funny?" Her voice trembled, "I will kill you, Loki."

He smiled widely. "And what is it that I have done now to have you so heated?"

"You damn well know what!"

His eyes briefly looked around, pleased, before he grinned. "Darling, have you lost it?"

She stared at him, lips pursed, seething. "You hacked into my mind. I don't know how that's possible, but with you anything is. You're playing some sick game here, I can feel it."

He ignored her, mouth forming a smirk at the three bullets embedded into the glass, demeanour cool and amused. "Honestly, what were you even attempting to do? Do you not even know the properties of this incarceration?"

"I don't know what was the meaning of that dream, whatever it was—"

His eyes darkly snapped back to her, his face losing the humour.

"—maybe you get something off of me manipulating you," she smirked, "or maybe you have a thing for me. Which is understandable. I mean, who wouldn't?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You really think you're what men should worship."

She quirked an eyebrow. 

He chuckled. "You see, you & I are one of the same—"

"Shut up," she snapped. "I want you to admit that you screwed with my head."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

She clenched her jaw, glaring hard. "I don't like my mind messed with."

"Me neither, little spider. Another thing we have in common."

She coldly smirked. "Yet we're always on opposite sides."

He grinned and leaned closer. "But isn't that poetic?"

"You're pathetic, for the last time. And delusional."

"I'm delusional?" He put his hand on his chest, gasping. 

She scowled at his pretense of heart-break. He was such a poor actor. Made her even hate him more.

"You're the least sane between us here, talking about me _hacking_ your already twisted mind." Loki stared her down cruelly.

"I will kill you," she whispered, slowly lowering her gun.

He watched her walk to the control panel. "Why don't you go back to yourself and leave me to silence. I don't know if this was an excuse to see me because you miss me so much or—" His brows creased when she'd flipped open the glass from the red button that would have his cage flying out of the carrier. "What do you think you're doing?" 

There was one thing that made her skin crawl, the one thing that made her core shake, and she was almost trembling right now. Her shaky hand hovering over the button. He broke into her mind, screwing with her head. She didn't know how, it mattered the least. She meant what she said about killing him, and this was her chance.

With the cage flying out the carrier, it would crash into the ocean, and he will  _drown_ , not even his magic — his superstrength — could break the glass. And in his last breath, he will be taught a lesson. 

"Natasha! Stop!" 

Hawkeye was the one who yelled.

Natasha didn't even give him a glance, and just as her hand was about to move further inches down, the control panel suddenly sizzled and a small fire started when the circuit exploded. She stepped back and frowned as it smoked, Hawkeye's arrow shot directly into the panel. But then angrily, she smashed her hand down the button, then looked at Loki — the smirking bastard — to realize the cage didn't make a single sound. She smashed the button again, and again, until she was punching it with her fist.

Loki looked at Clint and smiled broadly, he stared back at him warily, before averting his eyes on Natasha again, lowering his bow and arrow. "Nat, enough."

Natasha kicked the panel and sharply turned to glare at Clint. "How could you?"

"Fury would kick your ass."

"Last time I checked, Fury wanted _his_ ass gone too."

"Did he give you the order to eliminate him?"

Natasha glowered. "I didn't need an order."

"Natasha, I want him gone too. But—"

"Then why'd you do that, _Clint_?"

Clint scrutinized her, narrowing his eyes as he noticed something. She looked very affected by something. He turned to Loki. "What did you do to her?" 

Loki, amused as ever, was still smiling. "Why don't you ask her? She seems to need to vent out."

"Listen here, I don't have time for your games, little buddy. You answer my question—"

"Or what?" Loki's amusement seemed to wash off, his face replaced with an intimidating death stare, "You just destroyed the only way to terminate me, fool. Unless you want to walk in here and lay a finger on me — though we both know that would end very badly for you — I suggest you watch your tone."

Clint stepped forward, clenching his jaw, even though he knew there was no other to way to threaten the extraterrestrial bastard. 

Natasha, accepting her defeat with great annoyance, grabbed his arm.

"Nat—"

"Let's _go_." 

Clint didn't protest, which was smart.

They headed out the room.

"What did he do to you, Tash?"

"He didn't do anything," she snapped, "he just exists."

Clint frowned, unable to read her. He was torn between being convinced by her statement and not being convinced. He sighed. Natasha Romanov was complicated. As if he was ever going to get the right reading on her. 

"Anyway, there's an Avengers meeting. New threat and all."

"Oh," she replied lamely, "another shithead to deal with."

"This may be worse."

"What's worse than Loki?"

Clint was hesitant, but responded. "Your past."

Natasha's face blanched.  
  
  
  
  


The rest of the Avengers were already seated around the large table in the meeting room when she walked in with Clint. 

"And here I once thought assassins were all extra and came thirty minutes earlier before time," Tony said. Natasha glared at him when he smirked her way.

"We're not sorry." Clint smiled.

"Tash' and you were busy huh? With what? Assassin-banging in the closet?" Tony waggled his eyebrows.

"Tony," Steve scolded, annoyed, "that's enough."

Through the doors of the meeting room walked in Thor and Nick Fury with Bruce following behind.

"Our real Captain has finally arrived," Tony said, giving Steve a shady look in which Clint rolled his eyes to.

"Stark, shut your goddamn mouth," Fury snapped, looking irritable.

"Ay ay, Captain Fury!" Tony mocked with a pirate voice. Bruce chuckled, sitting next to his best-friend-in-science. Tony patted his shoulder. "Tell Nikki here all he's missing is a hat and a grand ship to go with that eyepatch," Tony whispered.

"Tony, I love you but hush," Bruce said with a sigh.

Natasha was still astonished that she was surrounded by men so childish. She even heard Clint sniggering beside her. She turned her head to him to cut his quiet giggling off with a glare. "Oh, come on, Nat. Don't tell me you haven't considered how Fury looks like one."

"Like what, Barton? Like our boss?"

"Alright, children, I'm going to need you all to quiet down," Fury began, the room silencing as attention was on the Director. Thor was standing beside him with his arms crossed and his face was grim.

"It seems we could never get a rest from the bad guys." Fury rolled his eyes.

Natasha couldn't agree any more.

"This is a..." He eyed Natasha for a moment and sighed quietly, "well, let's just say this isn't exactly a new threat SHIELD is dealing with now."

Natasha swallowed. Everyone else glanced at her.

"Who is this threat, sir?" She asked calmly.

"I am sure you're familiar with...Yelena Belova?"

Natasha felt her eye twitch.

Clint didn't have any pleasant memories of her either.

Natasha's mouth opened then closed. She was surprised to hear that name again after decades.

Everyone else looked confused.

"I'm sorry. Who's this Elena girl? And what of Romanov?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Yelena Belova is a Black Widow, like our lovely redhead here. Used to be one of Russia's highest ranking spies. But she defected, and became the most notorious criminal in the world. We've tried to catch her, almost gotten close. She's slippery as a fish. She always let's you live, Agent Romanov. Wonder why?"

Natasha bit the inside of her cheek, before answering reluctantly, "She's... in love with me."

"Wow." Tony's eyebrows almost rose to his hairline. "Interesting to hear. Are you lesbian?"

Natasha ignored Tony and asked Fury, "What does she want now?"

Fury didn't look at all happy about this. "She has a team. We don't know much of the members but I can guarantee you they're just as lethal as she is. She's allies with Victor Von Doom, and they both are suspects for possessing a weapon."

"And what is this weapon?" Steve asked.

"The Cosmic Cube."

"That's impossible. Thor took it to Asgard last time Loki was here, I recall that." Steve looked very unhappy.

That was when Thor stepped in, "Directly the day after my brother was banished here, the Tesseract was stolen from my father's vault room. There are no signs of who did it. My father believes that Loki is the one responsible."

"Damn right he is," Clint grumbled. "That shithead brother of yours is looking for an opportunity to bend this world to it's knees again. Can't you see? He's manipulating us all!"

"You will say no such about my brother!" Thor growled at Clint.

Natasha and Bruce frowned at Clint.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Bruce began. "You think that Loki is responsible? How? He's been in that cage and we've been keeping an eye on him, have we not? Stark made sure that glass cage is magic reduced."

"He's a snake. A snake without it's poison is still dangerous," Clint snarled, "I know how he's like. It can't be a coincidence that the cube went missing around the same time he was banished."

Natasha couldn't agree, but didn't say a word to break the silence.

Thor was sulking now.

"So this means this Yelena Belova and Victor Von Doom are working with someone from outside, if it's not Loki," Steve broke the silence.

Thor nodded. "I feel the same way." He looked at Clint. "And my brother is not a snake. I know him. He is changing his ways."

Natasha rolled her eyes at that. Loki hadn't changed at all. "So," she started, "now what?"

"This is an early reaction, as this is alleged, but no time can be wasted. We need to know everything before the real shit hits the fan," Fury began. "So this has to be silent. I wanted this to be a solo mission. With Romanov, of course, since she knows her Black Widow childhood friend better than any of us combined."

Natasha felt sick.

"But since I was reminded by our friend, Thor here, that Loki has to make up for the shit he's caused, I had no choice. Loki and Natasha are going to Stuttgart with a week headstart."

Natasha clenched her jaw while everyone sat in uncomfortable silence. She was not happy. Fury saw but didn't seem to care.

" _No_ ," Clint snarled.

"Barton, I don't remember me mentioning your name in this."

"Yeah but, Nikkita, remember that Legolas is in love with spy-Barbie. He doesn't feel right about her going off with psycho Rock of Ages overseas where he can't protect her."

"I can't seem to remember asking you a goddamn question, Stark. I do not care what Agent Barton feels about my best agent. He should get his dick out of the clouds and his head in the game."

"I'm sorry, what are you shouting at me for? Legolas is sitting right over there." Tony pointed at Clint from across the table who was still at it. 

"Natasha is not going anywhere near that freak!"

Natasha scowled. "Excuse me? I can speak for myself," she snapped.

Fury looked like he wanted to shoot something, particularly Clint. "This does not concern you, Agent Barton. I didn't ask for your opinion.  As I remembered, Agent Romanov is comfortable with everything. Is that right, Natasha?" Fury glared at her with his one eye.

She was hesitant.

"Natasha, you don't have to do this if you don't want," Steve said. "This is Loki. He's dangerous." 

She couldn't imagine being alone with Loki, after what he did, but declining meant that she would be proving Loki right. It would be proving that he got to her, it would make him the winner. And Natasha couldn't do that. "I can handle him." 

"You sure?" Steve asked.

"Yeah." She gave him a small smile, though he still looked worried.

She gave Fury one nod.

"Thank you. This meeting is over." Fury left the room, probably not in the mood for debating this matter.

Clint stormed out of the room. She followed him, knowing just where he was going.

Ever since the Chitauri invasion had ended, Clint had frequent nightmares because of Loki's brainwashing.

"Clint, wait." She was able to stop him in the passageway. "I'll be fine."

He turned around. "Nat, this is not fine. Can't you see this is what he wants?"

"I just... I can't relate." 

His eyebrows furrowed. "What does that mean?"

"Do you think Loki would repeat old schemes again? He doesn't seem like the type. The guy loves a good show, he loves theatrics, he wouldn't do the same thing again. That would be boring. It'd be unoriginal."

Clint's eyebrows relaxed a bit. Natasha was smart, she always made sense, and even though she was making sense now, he still wasn't that convinced. "Maybe, maybe not. Maybe he has ulterior motives. A plan under a plan. Maybe this is how he wants you to think."

"You sound mad," she spoke calmly.

"Come on, Tasha."

"Loki is a simple guy, as much as it pains you to hear. He may be a master manipulator but he's not that hard to figure out."

"What if he's like you?"

She glared. "Him and I are nothing alike."

He raised an eyebrow. "I mean, in terms of skillsets relating to mind games?"

She simply scowled, not responding.

Clint sighed. "Look, Tasha, I'm just trying to protect you here."

"I don't need your protection. I never have. Ever, since I've met you," she said.

Her words broke something in him.

Yet it was true.

He looked hurt but she didn't regret what she said.

"Natasha—"

"If you care about me so much then you'll trust me on this. On everything. What I want from my best friend is respect, too. I'm taking this mission with Loki. I don't care what anyone has to say." She stepped closer. "Promise me you'll keep away from Loki about this."

He almost looked defiant, and she was ready to ignore him for the rest of his life. But then his face had softened and the heavy weight in her chest lifted. He sighed and gave in, "Yeah, yeah. Come here." He pulled her in a hug in which she returned. She patted his back and smiled.

"I promise then," he said.

"Thank you."

"I still hate him."

She patted his back and sighed. "The feeling is mutual."


	5. Chapter 5

She walked in the room after the doors pried open for her. Her intentions weren't the same anymore. Though she was still very pissed, she kept her exterior cool. 

Loki had been sitting, a smile on his very conceited face. He rubbed his thumb with his other finger, arm propped on thigh. Like a Prince sitting on his throne, scheming and smirking like the devil. "Agent Romanov."

She stopped and stared him down blankly.

"I hear I'm being let out of my cage," Loki began with a wicked grin.   
One of the many qualities of being a demigod, super hearing. For a moment there she was jealous of his abilities. "Finally. Some pleasant news. I could use a beat of fresh air don't you think?"

He stared at her quietly, bothered by not getting a response.  He frowned as the silence stretched. He chuckled and stood up. "You come here to give me silence? Or do you mean to repeat your vacuous stunt from before?"

She narrowed her eyes coolly, recalling every detail of that dream. 

He frowned. "It was much more peaceful here before you decided to come."

"Oh please, jackass, you love my company," she snapped.

Finally hearing her voice, his signature grin was back in place. "Is that what you think?"

"Anyone would bore to death in that glass cage, I'm sure. I'm the only one here who's willing to talk to you. So how sweet of me."

"Are you mocking me?"

"I'm simply saying that my company is probably the light in your darkness and I'm glad to talk with you. You know, help a guy out."

"Am I supposed to thank you?" 

"No. Just be aware."

"Alright," he drawled. "I am aware. And what else do you think goes on with me?"

She smiled. "I bet when I'm not around," she took a few steps closer and crossed her arms over her chest as she stopped, "you think about me quite a lot."

"You're not even worth the slightest second in my mind," Loki snapped.

"Is that right? You don't happen to be planning anything on me?" She raised an eyebrow. "What was that little dream of us?"

He frowned.

"Of me... seducing you. Then you laying a finger on me."

He moved closer to the glass like a panther moving towards its prey. "I should remind you of you pushing my buttons, little spider. I didn't appreciate that. How I had my hand around your neck was what you had coming."

"So you admit you know what I'm talking about. Good. Now admit that you hacked into my mind." She glared.

"How so? This glass cage is practically magic reduced. I can barely do such a spell as blocking your voice out," his mouth snarled. "Now I had that dream, too, and it is more than suspicious that we'd share such a thing. But I had nothing to do with it. Believe me or not, I could care less. I don't need to prove anything to you."

She scrutinized him, face hardened. She always trusted her gut. She always had an intuition. Almost like a superpower. Growing up being constantly lied to and knowing that, a gift like that was easily formed. And right then her gut didn't tug. There was no doubt in her intuition that he was telling the truth. And that right there was quite scary. Was he such an excellent liar that he could even fool the Black Widow like that?

"Am I lying, Agent Romanov?"

"I don't know."

"Unconfident, are you?" He smiled. "It seems like I'm always the cause for such a fault."

She scowled. "You're not that hard to figure out. Sooner, I am going to unravel you bit by bit."

"Your skillset and competence are no match to uncover anything of me. You may be Midgard's finest detector but you are beneath me." He glared at her.

She glared right back at him. "Are you forgetting who's the one in the cage and the one outside? You couldn't be any more beneath me. You're at my mercy, Loki. Give me a good reason to convince Fury to cut you from this mission and just discard your ass like everyone wants."

"You need me to find that cube, darling. Are you forgetting?"

"No. I sure as hell know I don't. I can do this mission on my own."

Loki blankly stared at her as he stepped back, taking a seat back on the bench. "You are without a doubt the most infuriating woman I have ever met."

"That means I'm doing my job just fine then."

Loki scowled. "It almost makes you... special to me."

Natasha stared at him for a moment. "Well. You're unique to me too."

His scowl melted and he raised his eyebrows.

She continued, "I've never hated anyone as much as I hate you."

Loki stared at her for what felt like ages. His face was unreadable. She instantly regretted what she just said, telling him her weakness.

"I hate just about everyone. But you're the most effective." He smirked. "It makes me like you, in a twisted kind of way."

"Too bad I dislike you," she snapped.

He chuckled and leaned forward. "Come on, Agent Romanov, not even a small tiny liking for the poor God of Mischief?"

She was all poker faced. "Poor God of Mischief? Did you just degrade yourself? That's a first."

"Well you wounded me."

She looked unimpressed by him. 

"Your opinion of me matters quite a lot to me, Agent Romanov," he said sarcastically, hand held to his chest where his shattered heart was.

"Yeah, you're full of shit."

" _Oh_ , the pain." He closed his eyes and grimaced his face, acting injured.

She cringed. "Are you done?"

He smirked and dropped his act. "So serious you are."

She smirked. "I'm not a clown, Loki."

He shrugged. "We are all clowns here, somehow. What is life without a little humour?"

"You call that humour back there?"

"What is your sense of humour?"

"Shooting people."

"And you call me a monster." He quirked a brow.

"Because I'm the beauty here."

He stared at her, and really stared at her. She was so smug and confident and awfully appeasing to the eyes. But he wasn't developing anything for her. Over his dead body. Curse the Norns if they had that planned for him, as he could feel the beginning swirls of something growing inside of him just by her near presence. Besides the hate he felt for her.

"Are you drooling over me?" Natasha almost snorted.

Her teasing voice broke him out of the staring and he quickly turned away. Damn. And she was really good at making a fool out of him.

She stared at his back. Pursing her lips for a moment. "So. Did you enjoy it?"

He twisted back around and frowned. "Enjoy what?" 

"The dream. Did you enjoy the dream or not?"

"What was there to enjoy?"

"You know which part."

He stared at her with his jaw slacked.

There was mischief glinting in her green eyes. "What? I want to know."

"You are quite strange," he said with wonder. "And, I did enjoy it, only for a moment."

She nodded slowly. "Well, I hated it. You're a terrible kisser," she lied.

He chuckled. "You really had to call me out like that?"

"Serves your ego right." She smirked. "I'll see you tomorrow when we leave." She had a feeling she was going to come here to see him again before the day of tomorrow even came, couldn't explain why.

She turned to leave but then stopped when he said, "Goodbye, Agent Romanov."

She turned back to him. "Just call me Natasha."

"Natasha," her name rolled off his tongue. He smiled. "Is that supposed to mean something?"

"What?"

"You giving me permission to call you by your first name."

She paused. "Do you want it to mean something?"

He raised his black eyebrows.

"Don't read too much into things, Loki."

Then he watched her leave the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve was surprised when Natasha showed up at his quarters, dressed in her favourite brown leather jacket and biker boots. Her eyes sizing him up. A sly smirk curled on her lips. He stood up instantly at her appearance in his room.

"At ease, soldier," she teased.

He let out a sigh with a smile.

Her smirk widened.

He asked, "What's going on?"

They didn't speak much but she was beginning intimidate him less the more they interacted.

"You said something about coffee the other time." She cocked her head and frowned slightly. "You know, you dress nice. Like a hipster or something."

"Hipster." Steve chuckled and put on his leather jacket. "Never heard of that one. Not even from Stark." He licked his lips. "Well if that's what I am to fit in this world, then so be it." He was wearing a blue checkered shirt and caramel cotton pants. 

"Hipster indeed"

"And what are you?" He tipped his chin at her as he walked to the room's exit where she stood. He hovered over her and she had to step back, she liked her space.

"I'm Natasha." She shrugged.

"Just Natasha?"

"I like boots and leather jackets. What can I say?" 

He grinned. "Let me guess, you like motorcycles as well?"

"Oh no," she said with a frown and a shake of her head. "I love motorcycles, to reframe your words there. Like is a weak word."

"And love is a strong word."

"Yes. I feel strongly about motorcycles."

They began walking together down the passageway. "Well you're going to climb on one," he said.

"Hipster _and_ a motorcycle rider." She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. "How fitting. Girls like that."

"But you're surprised?"

"Oh please. You've rode a few motorcycles in the 40s before. Ain't that it? I've seen the pictures. Especially in the museums."

He chuckled.

 

 

She smiled up at him. "So, let's go grab some lunch." She hooked her arm around his.

 

 

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

Loki was amused as Hawkeye stood confidently, and angrily, before his glass cage. 

He was more than pleased to hear what he had to say. So he didn't speak first. 

Clint took steps closer. "I know what you're doing."

Loki raised a mocking brow. 

"You can fool the rest but you can't fool me."

"Because you believe you're smarter than the rest?"

"Because I know how you're like, you sick fuck!" Clint growled, his fists clenching at his sides. "You're a monster."

"You've contained quite the fury for me," he said and easily grinned. He strode closer to the glass separating them. "Is this about your little darling? Natasha?"

"Don't you dare say her name."

"Or else? You're going to walk in here and what?" Loki laughed. "There is nothing you can do, _Barton_ ," he snarled his name. "She and I are leaving together to find the Cosmic Cube to save this miserable spit of a planet you live in. My debt will be paid and you all will be finally out of my sight."

Clint glared. "Don't give me that shit. I'm not buying it. I know what you're really up to."

Loki let out a tantalizing chuckle which made the flames in Clint's eyes burn. "Yes, I know what you think I'm up to. You believe I have the Tesseract and I'm trying to take your darling away to turn her into a brainwashed puppet as I did with you. It is quite a masterful plan but it is a fool's task. What makes you think I'm one to repeat a failed plan? Midgard is proved to be worthless anyway."

"Say what you want but I know you're going all for world domination again. If you hurt her, I will hunt you down," he threatened, "I swear you will regret it!"

"You broke her promise, do you realize? Did she not tell you to leave me and let me be? I wonder how she'll react once I tell her of your little disobedience."

"She knows I'm protecting her from you!"

"Yet she says she doesn't need you," Loki said thoughtfully, silencing him. He smirked as he continued, "Though, I should tell you, she might have her sights on the Captain. Why don't you go on and look for her before another steals her away? You certainly won't get anything out of me, mortal."

Clint's eyes sparked. "So you do admit you're up to something."

Loki simply gave him a mocking cold smile and went over to lay his back on his bench, ignoring him. As Loki closed his eyes, he imagined Natasha & Steve together. 

His chest shook as he held down laughter.

As if the naïve good-mannered blonde could handle her shady bloody past.

  
Loki doubted Natasha Romanov could even essentially experience romantic love. Almost like himself; they both distanced themselves from such a complication. A waste of time.

What a mess could be caused from something like love.

They both knew best.

Loki opened his one eye open and turned his head sideways to find Clint gone.

His smile stretched. 

He could smell the jealousy reeking off of him even with him gone.

 

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

They'd rode on Steve's motorcycle all the way to an easy fast food place where the whole team once had shwarma at. They were seated in a booth near the window.

Steve had finished his lunch, so he ended up watching her finish her sandwich. She was nodding to herself as she glanced out the window beside her. She liked food, despite her minimum consumption. She watched the packed traffic on the streets of New York and swallowed before looking back at him. "Your motorcycle is excellent. We can swap."

Steve chuckled. "I don't think so."

"Fine. I'll borrow it if you'll let me." She finished the last piece of the chicken sandwich.

"You're pretty rough with things that aren't yours."

"You don't even know me. Come on. I'll treat it with care. Like my own."

He smiled and shook his head. "You remind me of someone. An old friend."

"From the war?"

He nodded as his eyes slightly dimmed. "His name was Bucky."

"He died, didn't he?" 

Steve sighed. "Right before the war ended."

She awkwardly patted his motionless hand on the table.

They were quiet for a moment, before he cleared his throat and spoke, hands moving away, "So, ah, this Yelena Belova?"

Natasha's eyebrows raised.

"Are you in love with her?" He asked boldly.

Natasha's gaze almost turned to a glare. She drank from her Coke can. "She's the enemy."

Steve paused with a frown. "But you're not answering my question."

"Tony was right when he said you're a bit nosey," Natasha snapped.

Steve sighed and briefly looked down. "I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have asked. I shouldn't pry on people's business."

She just nodded and ran her tongue along her teeth, her gaze piercing at him. She took out some money from her jeans' pocket and laid it on the middle of the table.

"I was going to pay." Steve looked apologetic.

She shrugged. "Girls can also pay these days, you know, unlike your old times."

He looked up at her as she stood. He watched her walk away and he slouched in his seat. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

 

For a moment he thought she left him until the window beside him tapped, making him straighten. He looked out and saw Natasha giving him a small smirk. " _Let's take your motorcycle for another a spin, hipster,_ " he heard her muffled voice through the window.

He smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

She spent most of the afternoon with Steve and the rest of her evening taking a long nap once they were back up in the air inside the Helicarrier. She really did need some mindless time, take a break from heavily thinking about Loki and his shenanigans.

But as soon as her head hit her pillow, he was in her mind that instance. But, at least, her mind was pitch black when she drifted to sleep. No dream, no nightmare, no _him._ She had been scared that her mind was beginning to carry a parasite of him or some crap, or even a goddamn tumor.

When she woke up, her mind was cleared. Fresh. She was feeling a helluva of a lot better. She woke up to the dark of her sleeping quarters, groaning and turning her head to her digital clock on her nightstand steel table. The object gleaming with the numbers _21:11._

She peeled herself off of her makeshift bed and carried herself to the light switch that she turned on. She frowned when she saw a note on the floor just near the tiny creak under her closed door. She knelt down to pick it up.

_ Didn't want to wake you but I enjoyed this afternoon. Hope to do it again :) _

_ -Steve. _

How sentimental. 

She didn't want to make anything a habit but she still didn't mind doing this again with Steve.

She sighed and decided to take a quick shower. Once her cold shower was a done task, she dressed into the same clothes again. Her short hair making tiny curls in it's wetness. She clenched her jaw. She knew she was going to see Loki.   
  
  
  
  
  


Loki was unsurprised when she showed up. He regarded her with a bored expression. He wasn't seated on the bench like last time, as she always saw him every time she came in. This was different. He was on the floor, his legs bent and his arms on his knees. He looked so casual and boyish, leaning back against the bench behind him.

"Aren't you going to greet me?" She asked with a smirk.

"What do you want?" He drawled.

She regarded him with a stop. "And then? What sucked the jackass out of you?"

"Your bird came down here, must you know. Your _Barton_. He came down here to threaten me." Loki coldly laughed. "Does he realize he was talking to a higher being? I could squash him with my bare hands so easily."

Natasha blinked, processing this, and felt the beginning sparks of anger. "What did you do to him?"

He rolled his eyes. "I did absolutely nothing. I would've burned him where he stood were it not for this bloody cage."

"You didn't say anything to possibly make him feel...worse?" She crossed her arms.

"I could care less about him. All I told him was to scram off and watch out for the captain."

Natasha scowled. "Why would he need to watch out for Captain Rogers?"

Loki wickedly grinned. "I told him the young Captain is stealing you away from him, that he was wasting his time here when his lover is with another man."

"Clint is not my lover."

"Really? Well, he seems to think otherwise," Loki quipped. "That poor man. Who is your lover? The Captain? You both would be lovely together," his voice dripped with acidic sarcasm.

"Would it bother you?" She smirked.

Loki snorted. "You could go to Hel and I would still not even have a start."

"Not even just a little?"

He graciously stood up. "He's quite a fool, isn't he? Too foolish and easy for you." He walked closer. "Too good for you, but a real bore."

She stared Loki down. "So he's not right for me?"

"Do you think he is?"

"I'm not interested in him."

"But he is in you." His face twisted with wry amusement. "Actually, everybody seems to be pining after the Widow. There is such a selection of fools to pick from, why limit yourself only to the golden fool?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you playing a love Guru right now?"

"What do I know about love?"

"Exactly."

"But I do know you."

"Steve is my acquaintance and Clint is my best friend. You don't have a say in anything. Doubt you have any experience with a woman." She stared at him blankly. "Doubt any woman would like to be by your side, anyway."

Loki smirked. "I do not care for the opinions of women. Love is a drain and a waste of energy."

"And I couldn't agree more." She raised her chin.

"Like you so once said, _love is for children_."

"Well you have a good memory."

"Those words do stick."

They stared at each other passively, silent, for a moment. Then he spoke, "I cannot wait to work with the cunning Black Widow tomorrow. Such a team we would make."

She walked closer until she was close to him, the glass the only thing separating them. "You sure once we find that cube, you won't try to kill me and run off with it?"

"How sure are you?"

She looked elsewhere, in thought, tongue running along the inside of her mouth.

"Can't trust me?"

She looked back at him. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course not."

"So there. That's the answer for me as well."

He chuckled. "And yet you expect me to answer that question, truthfully?"

"I'm expecting you to betray us. You might pursue whatever villainous scheme you have up your sleeve. I don't know if it even involves the cube."

He was smiling widely.

She rolled her eyes.

"I know. I'm a very interesting man."

"I'll unwrap your little master mind," she said confidently, "I swear it. For now, I just can't wait for tomorrow."

"Why?" His eyes lit up.

"I want to see what will happen once you're let out of that cage. Will you kill us or actually...cooperate?" She cocked her head to one side, like a bird, red curls falling. She pushed them back.

Loki watched her in deep interest. "And what do you expect, little spider?"

"I expect the worst."

He chuckled. "And you're challenging me to prove you wrong?"

"Thor said you're changing your ways. I don't believe him." She flashed Loki a plain pretty smile as she walked backwards, shoving her hands in her leather jacket's pockets. "Are you going to prove me wrong or right?"

And those were her final words before she turned and left.

Loki didn't notice the smile remaining on his face. He chuckled to himself and sighed as he sat down on the bench. 

Surprise the woman or not?

Didn't matter. Both outcomes would be very interesting.


	8. Chapter 8

Natasha couldn't sleep at night, dreading the next day. If Loki did remain harmless once he was freed, she still wasn't looking forward to confronting one of her old Russian associates. And she sure as hell wasn't ready to be alone with him.

By the morning, sleep-deprived and irritable, she took a shower, brushed her teeth, and dressed into some new casual clothes. Dark denim jeans, a pair of black chelsea boots, a beige leather jacket on top of a plain grey shirt. She fastened her thigh holster and tucked in her gun. When she left her quarters, her heart began to race.

She looked down at her wristwatch and exhaled sharply, quickening her walk down the passageway to the secured room where Loki was held captive. 

When she arrived there, the steel doors were already open. She saw that many armed SHIELD agents stood in front of Loki's cage, steadied with their rifles in their hands. They all briefly looked at her as she entered.

She remembered the first time when Loki descended on this planet. Bullets didn't affect him. He killed a full armed team of SHIELD soldiers without blinking an eye. She'd seen the footage. She thought SHIELD was smarter than this.

She stopped ahead of the line of agents, looking up at Loki. He was standing near the glass, hands behind his back, and he was smiling mischeviously. She came closer and gave him a look in which he responded to with his smile fading.

She wouldn't be surprised if he turned on her, she was ready for that.

Maybe it wasn't even part of his scheme to attack the second he was released. Maybe his plans were going to be splayed out once she was alone with him, away from SHIELD and her teammates.

She clenched her jaw.

She could never trust him, could she?

"Get him out," she ordered curtly, her eyes still fixed on the demigod, "we're going to be late for our flight."

One agent removed himself from his team and walked over to the repaired control panel near the corner of the room. Another walked up to her, he spoke, "Metal braces. Stark says put them on his wrists once he's out. They're magic resistant," he handed her wrist braces. She nodded and he stepped away.

Natasha glared at Loki and stepped back, taking her gun out from the holster and cocking it roughly. "Don't piss me off," she warned him.

He simply chuckled charmingly. "Wouldn't dream of it, Natasha."

After the agent pressed the button that opened the glass door of the cage, everyone had their weapons fixed on him, including Natasha. The glass door smoothly slid and Loki stepped forward, slickly descending down and walking over to her. There was an obvious contrast between their height. Loki couldn't be more taller.

He smirked as her gun was still fixed at his forehead, and he gently lowered it with his finger. She let him and coolly narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm actually surprised," she said.

Loki nodded slowly. "The feeling is mutual. Maybe I like you a little too much."

Natasha smirked. "How sweet." She eyed him sharply.

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you not going to clasp those on me, dear?" He gestured to the braces.

"First things first. We're going to the airport and I'm not letting you go out like that." She tipped her head at his green Asgardian armour. "Use your little magic to dress 'earthly', or whatever." She tucked her gun back into her thigh holster.

He stared at her carefully then his Asgardian armour glowed before it transitioned to a black suit. Much like what he was wearing in the German gala before, a green scarf around his shoulders.

Her eyes trailed from the bottom to the top. In her assessment, it was a little too much. Too formal. "How about you replace that coat with a simple leather jacket. Like mine. But black. Under that tuck the scarf in."

Light glowed again and he was in a leather jacket, with his scarf tucked in.

She pursed her lips, and cocked her head. "Hmmm," she hummed in thought.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Am I now appropriate enough for this stupid planet?"

"Yeah you don't need that scarf. Magic that out."

With an eye roll and a flash bright light, the scarf disappeared, his tie and shirt visible. "Now are you satisfied, Natasha?"

"Alright," she stepped forward and grabbed his hands. "Yes. A little satisfied. You look..." she looked up at him, "less assholic. Less."

"Pass as a gentleman?" He leaned his head closer to hers as she clasped each brace around each wrist.

She stared back up at him confidently, unbothered by such close proximity. "There is nothing at all gentle about you, Loki. I'd know. But out there, you'd fool everyone with that little charm of yours." She turned around. "Follow me." 

The agents parted way for her to leave and they watched Loki follow her with distrustful eyes. "He's fine. Lower your weapons," she spoke curtly to the agents who obeyed her. "He's with me now."  
  


On their way out, Natasha gave him a small book and a card. "Here." She passed the items to him. "Keep those safe. That's your ID and passport."

He looked at the card first. He grimaced. "How did you get this image of me?" He asked. His hair was still black, but it was cut short.

"Don't worry." She smirked. "The hair part was an edit. There's something called photoshop, what we call magic on this planet."

" _Luke Ainsworth_." He read the name from his ID card out loud.

"Yes. That's your cover. And I'm Natalie Rushman. You're my fiancè. You were born in Britian, 9th of February 1981, three years before me. And I was born in Volgograd, '84 November 22nd. We're going to Stuttgart for a vacation, or maybe for your business tour and I decided to tag along. I don't know, we'll decide what our story in Stuttgart is."

"And how did we meet, exactly?"

She pursed her lips for moment. "Don't worry about it now. We'll find that out in the plane. We've got a lot of time."

"And will I finally get to know what and who we're dealing with here?" He asked with exasperation. "None of you have taken your time to explain this mission to me."

"You'll get to study the file once we're inside the plane." She looked at him with a small smile. "That sound good to you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I want to get this over and done with."

"And then what? You go back home to Asgard? Have servants feed you grapes while you arrogantly pose for the painter as he paints a portrait of you to hang in the halls of the palace?" She caught herself rambling, joking. She snorted.

Loki chuckled at her awful joke. "Oh I hope so," he bit back. "But my mother would be the only reason to go back there."

She laughed. "Please don't tell me that actually happens."

"Thor has done that before, actually." He smirked.

"Don't lie to me."

He chuckled. "I know I am the God of Lies but I speak the truth. Perhaps one day I shall take you to Asgard and show you that portrait. He was younger than he is now. A beautiful portrait of the vain fool he was, and still is. And they were not grapes, they were nuts."

"Why is that image not hard to imagine?"

They turned into another passageway.

"So. What makes you think they'd want you back?" She raised an eyebrow. "Asgard, I mean."

He looked at her sharply. "Does your homeland want you back?"

"No." She shook her head, speaking solemnly, "And I don't want to go back."

"Asgard isn't my home."

She looked at him for a moment. "What is home for you?"

"You answer that question first."

Her face was pensive, as she answered reluctantly, a little sombre, "I don't exactly have a place in the world."

He looked at her earnestly. "In the world? Well. For me, I have no place in the universe."

She stared at him.

He stared back.

Their walking pace slowing.

No words were spoken between them.

Then their heads turned in unison when Clint called out, "Nat!" Coming towards them. They stopped.

Natasha smiled at him. "Hey."

Clint's eyes swept past Loki and he looked extremely displeased. "Leaving without saying goodbye, Tash?"

"Don't have much time," she replied.

He nodded slowly. "So Steve says to tell you to keep safe and watch your back," he glared at Loki as he said this.

"Is that so?"

Loki was so indifferent during their exchange, quiet.

"Why can't he tell that to my face?"

"He's not present. Him and the rest have gone out on a mission to investigate Victor Von Doom. Steve really worries about you... don't know why when I barely see you two talk at all." He frowned.

She ignored him about Steve and asked, "What are you doing here, then?"

"Fury tasked me, along with a few agents, to keep an eye on Loki's scepter in the lab. In case anything should go wrong."

Natasha looked at Loki and found him unreadable. She looked back at Clint. She let out a sigh and stepped in to hug him.

He patted her back and she reciprocated. When they separated, he said, "Be smart."

"I'm always smart, you idiot. You, though. I did tell you not to give Loki a visit, did I? Where that go for you?"

Clint clenched his jaw, simply glowering at Loki who was smirking full on.

Natasha rolled her eyes. She grabbed Loki by the arm. "We gotta go, I'll see you, alright?"

Clint nodded and stepped aside as they walked away. He watched their retreating backs, still very confident that Loki was harmful and had ulterior motives.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


She left off the Helicarrier with Loki and they were transported to the airport. Their flight about to take off in less than twenty minutes.

She made him hold half of the luggage inside the airport and told him to look less miserable.

She was only dragging the big suitcase and holding her small handbag, it was effortless for her. He groaned as she smiled. "You have superstrength, you can handle."

"Yes, but I feel like I'm your servant-boy."

"Get used to it. That's marriage for you."

"May I remind you that we're _getting_ married. We're not married yet."

"Same thing, servant-boy." She grinned.

He huffed.

She looked around.

She could imagine how he'd be feeling if the airport were full. His scowl would've probably deepened. They were very lucky to leave early as it was less crowded.

She sighed when he was dragging behind. She stopped and looked back. "Come on, baby." She held her hand out to him.

His scowl deepened. "Did you just call me an infant?" He ignored her hand as he walked passed her.

She grabbed his hand anyway, making him flinch but he didn't pull his hand away.

"It's a name of affection here," she explained.

Loki looked at her mischeviously. "And I thought _jackass_ and _asshole_ were your names of affection for me."

She bumped his side making him chuckle. "Natalie calls Luke _baby_. So, get used to it, baby."

He squeezed her hand. "Alright, Natalie."


	9. Chapter 9

The plane had a smaller than average amount of people in it, but that didn't make Loki's mood any brighter.

She helped him put the bags in the luggage compartment. He was struggling a bit, and ended up pounding on the fat bag to squeeze in. He was hissing Norse curse words, turning heads.

Natasha watched him, her face of wry amusement.

He finally fitted everything inside and sighed.

She climbed on her toes to give him a quick kiss on his cheek, surprising him before he realized it was just for their cover. She touched his waist and gently pushed him aside so that she sat on her seat near the window.

Soon he sat with her. He leaned back and groaned. "I hate these airports of yours."

"You've only been to one. But yeah, I feel the same." She suppressed a yawn.

Loki looked at her and watched as she stretched out her arms, arching her chest out. He sucked a breath in and immediately looked away.

A female flight attendant came with a trolley of drinks and other liquids, asking if they needed anything.

Natasha spoke politely, "No, thank you. Though I do think he needs a bottle of water. Don't you, sweetie? You look a little red."

Loki scowled at her. "Excuse you."

She nudged him by his ribs, reminding him that he was breaking character. But his face _was_ flushed; she noticed him when she displayed her bosom out as she arched her back.

He rolled his eyes and looked at the flight attendant. "Yes. What my darling fiancè who knows it all just said. Water would do."

"Here you go, sir," the woman offered him the bottle which he took with a nod and a forced smile. She looked at them strangely as she strolled away. He put the water bottle into the cup holder with disinterest.

Once she was gone with the trolley, he turned to scowl at Natasha who slapped his shoulder. "You need to get your head outta your ass," she snapped.

"My face was not red. How dare you attempt to humiliate me?"

"Not red, no, but you were certainly blushing. Happens a lot, I know, I'm a sight."

"Your mind is definitely offworldly if you believe my every reaction is caused by you."

"So you do admit that you were blushing? Face red?"

"Are we done? I understand you think you're some special specimen to men but I prefer it if you did not rub your delusions in my face."

She chuckled. "You're so funny, Luke. But quit being so stubborn. Are you sure you're okay, honey?"

He scowled at her sudden change, now being all over him.

She reached her hand out to touch his cheek but he caught her wrist. She smiled and subtly gestured to an elderly couple looking at them. The old woman was smiling and nudging at her husband.

Natasha looked back at Loki. "People are looking at us, so will you stop with your asshole talks? Loosen up your shoulders more?" She slipped her wrist from his grip and leaned in to kiss him on his cheek, so close to his mouth. Purposeful of her.

He sighed and wanted to roll his eyes. She held his head in her hands and made him look at her. She gave him a warning look. "Loosen up," she whispered. He stared at her with a hilarious sneer that almost had her laughing. She leaned in and kissed the same spot again, so near his mouth. He didn't pull back. He let himself sink into the act. So he touched her waist and shifted her closer to him. But then she pulled back just as he was going in to capture her lips. She sat back and grabbed out a magazine.

He scoffed. "Seriously?"

She opened the magazine, a casual, " _What?_ " earning a withering look from him. She glanced back at him with a small smirk.

"In a gaming mood, are you?"

"Nope. Currently in a reading mood. So if you'll excuse me," she flipped to the next page.

He rolled his eyes and later on opened the file he was given. This file was going to explain what he was thrown into. He understood that the cube was involved but he didn't know anything about his enemies. Well, the one who'd caught his ears was _Yelena Belova._

He skipped the pages about the Tesseract and ended up on Yelena Belova's short description. He looked at the picture of her. Average height, long blonde hair, young pretty woman. The second highly-trained Black Widow, and one of Russia's many traitors. She was trained from the same organinsation as Natasha. Their relationship in the pages was very vague.

Right now Yelena was in charge of a very deadly squad called A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) which was connected mildly to Victor Von Doom. Yelena and Victor were mostly tied. The brunette man with a running scar across his eye and cheek. The squad was all centered around highly advanced tech and weaponries. Very dangerous weapons. They were hard to track down even for SHIELD.

"I'm going to call you Natasha now because I need to talk to her." He turned to her, closing the file.

"Natasha is not available right now. Sorry," she drawled, her eyes on an article about PMSing.

"What happened with you and this girl named Yelena Belova? In the Red Room?"

Her eyes averted, and she stared into space.

He struck a chord.

"Can you input me?"

She looked at him. "You think it's important?"

"Is it?"

She frowned. "I'm asking you if you think it's important."

He stared at her, frowning back. "It should be, shouldn't it?"

"But to you?"

"I'm simply curious."

"Just curious?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Well perhaps it is important. I'd like to understand the nature of your relationship with her."

She made herself relax, leaning back. "We grew up together." She closed the magazine. "We were friends when we were little girls." Then they were turned against each other through mind programming and a rivalry was engraved into their heads. Natasha broke out of it before Yelena did. "When we weren't fighting each other, we were... lovers."

Loki raised his eyebrows.

"We've been caught. They separated us. We grew apart. Years later, we meet again as enemies."

"Do you still love her?"

She stared blankly at the back of the seat in front of her. "I never loved anyone in that shithole. We used each other as comfort, to say the least. In the nights those were the only times we could ever be human. More than the weapons we were."

"Funny were her path still led."

She cringed. "She's naïve." She looked back at him. "It's like you and Thor."

He chuckled. "Really? And who's Thor?"

"I'm Thor, of course. You and Yelena are alike. She'd probably think you're pathetic."

He paused.

She shrugged.

"What, because she is?"

"Ever self-reflected?"

He frowned.

"You couldn't even do that." She shook her head. "So you'll think she's pathetic as well."

"I already like her."

"Well I hate you both." She opened the magazine again, back to resume reading that article.

They announced to everybody that they were taking off. Seat-belts should be fastened on and all computing devices should be switched off. All of her devices were switched off already. She fastened her seat-belt on and saw that Loki was struggling. She decided to help him.

"You know what I think?"

She pulled back when she was done clasping his seatbelt in. "What?"

"I think you still care about her. If you're such a Thor, I mean, you'd be the syrupy idiot between the two of you."

She rolled her eyes.

"She must tire of you--"

She elbowed him hard in his ribs. "We are not a complete reflection of you and your brother."

He groaned, holding his pained region. "Really?"

"You and Thor are both fuckwits."

He chuckled. " _Fuckwits_."

"Now are we going to discuss our marriage story or what?"


	10. Chapter 10

After the ten hour flight and a lift, they finally arrived in Stuttgart, already passed midnight. They were dropped off a hotel, using their false identities as they checked into the same room as a couple. Their hands interlocked. 

  
So it seemed they were going to attend a ball in a hall in the city the next night. There was a theory that Victor Von Doom would be attending too. That could be their headstart.

Natasha tipped the hotel butler for carrying their luggage. When they both stepped into the room, she immediately went for the single bed, making Loki scoffed. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

She was laid on the bed with a smile. "I'm sleeping on this bed."

He stared at her blankly, then said, "I'll join you."

"No, of course not," she frowned, "absolutely not."

"Well then remove yourself," he smirked, then frowned when he followed her line of gaze to the couch. He chuckled. "I don't think so, darling."

"That or the floor. Your choice."

He stared at her in scorn. "You're actually being serious."

"I'm exhausted. I'm worn out. I need some rest. I'll take the couch next time. Tonight it's me and the bed."

He saw the dark circles under her eyes and cringed. "Why must I listen to you?"

She looked desperate. She was not in the mood for arguing with him of all people right now. "I promise that you can have the bed next time, jackass."

He coolly narrowed his eyes at her and she rolled her own, now annoyed. She grumbled, "Be a gentleman and let the woman have the bed."

"I am a Prince. I should be the one on the bed and you on the floor," he snapped.

She angrily squinted her eyes at him. "The egocentric bastard you are."

He smirked. "And I'm no gentleman."

"That was noted a long time ago." She maintained his gaze with a cold glare.

He simply quirked his brow.

"Fuck you, I'm tired and goodnight," she snapped. She threw her boots off, slipped under the duvet, and switched off the lamp light on the nightstand.

Loki stood there in annoyance, groaning with an eye roll and walked over to the caramel couch. He dropped his back on it.

His face twisted with discomfort. He didn't even fit. His legs dangling over the end of the armrest, his shoulder squeezing into the couch as his other hovered over the end of it. "Damn you for making me a 'gentleman'," he grumbled.

He heard her giggle, surprising him with such an innocent girly sound.

"Us mere mortals need our comfort," she spoke in the dark. It felt as if her voice was close to him, and he embraced the husky sound of it. 

"And what about us royal gods?" He scoffed. "Very unfitting, if you ask me."

"I promise I'll take the couch tomorrow," she said, "drama queen." He sensed a smirk in her voice.

He sighed, touching the metal braces around him, trying to figure a way out of them as they talked.

"I'm glad you find this amusing, Natasha."

"You on the couch and me on the bed? Oh yeah. Greatly amusing. Talk about the grand degradation of a demigod," she quipped.

"I'm sure you must be having the time of your life."

"Oh it's good out here. Bed's real comfy, you know." She let out a moan of enjoyment, making him roll his eyes, as she hugged the pillow. "Too bad you can't join."

His fingers found the slit where the brace was clasped and locked in place, and he held there with pressure. "You're an awful person for just rubbing that in my face."

"You not comfortable there, jackass?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Hardly comfortable. Do you mind if I come over there?" He finally broke the brace, quietly, and he took it off of him. He repeated onto the next brace.

"You can stay right the fuck away from me, thank you very much," she spoke in a sleepy voice, some words muffled in the pillow.

"How heartless." He broke the brace.

She dryly hummed in response.

He took the braces together, and now that his magic was back to him, he simply vanished them to air. After that he materialized a thick blanket on top of him.  
  


Three hours passed and still sleep didn't catch on with him. He envied her. Mortal bodies tired easily, his did not. In fact, his mind didn't tire at all. Spinning continuously. He'd caught himself thinking of her, actually.

To soothe himself, he promised himself that he was going to take back the Cube the second they grasped it from Doom's hands. Then hand it to it's owner, the Mad Titan.

  
Thanos.

Once he delivered it, Thanos won't want to kill him anymore for failing him the first time. And Loki will be free. He will leave Midgard and Asgard forever, off his hunt list, and he'll find another home. A home where he will belong.  _Then no more running. No more running_.  _No more running._ That was the mantra he'd repeat to himself to sleep at night. If he slept at all.

 _Then no more running. No more running_.

_No more night terrors._

And just as his eyes were about to flutter close as sleep finally caught with him, a small whimper had him back. 

His eyes flew open.

He heard a soft cry and frowned.

He heard the bed's duvet shuffling and the whimpers getting loud.

" **нет. пойдем со мной. пойдем со мной. пожалуйста, пойдем со мной,** " he heard her crying.   
In Russian, he assumed. She was begging someone to come with her.

He slowly sat up with a grunt, his upper muscles aching from discomfort of the couch. He looked over the couch to the petite woman in the bed, writhing like a worm under the duvet. 

His face softened.

But then he clenched his jaw and looked away from her, scolding himself for giving the slightest care.

He hated her. As he should.

He should enjoy watching her like this. The pained tone and cracking in her voice. The tortuous whimpers.

But he didn't feel that way. The moment he tried to, he felt disgust at even attempting.

He lifted his head and looked back at her.

He couldn't stand to watch her like this any more.

With a flourish of his hand, green trails of light streamed towards her and gently tapped her forehead, before they vanished.

After long seconds, the whimpers stopped. Then there came out a gentle sigh from her lips. She moaned softly and turned around, her back facing him. He'd pictured the ocean for her, a lonely yet lovely beach. He hoped she liked it.

He huffed and laid back down on the damned couch, enjoying the silence again. He told himself that he only helped her to shut her up. She was a loud nuisance who disturbed him. She was.


	11. Chapter 11

Loki woke up to the continuous typing on a keyboard. His eyelids pried open and he sat up with a painful grimace.

It was morning. The curtains were open, allowing weak sunlight to enter in.

"Sleep well?"

He looked over the couch at her and stared blankly.

He knew _she_ slept well. In fact, there was a faint smile on her face.

He looked down and created an illusion of the metal braces around his wrists before his attention was back on her.

She sat cross-legged on the bed with her open laptop on her lap, wearing the clothes from yesterday that she'd slept in. She gave him a glance before her eyes were on the screen again.

"What are you doing?" He asked. His body ached. He heard a few muscles cracking as he removed himself off the couch. He stretched his arms out for a moment.

"Just reading a report from the team about Doom. Apprently he'd travelled to space. They found a ship of some sort in his lab in Latveria. The Cube had gone missing in Asgard, correct? Well, it's pretty obvious what to think."

"And you think this man somehow went passed the gatekeeper of Asgard to sneak into a heavily guarded palace in the entire universe to steal the Cube from Odin's secret vault room?" He chuckled. "You Midgardians and your jokes."

She glared at him. "We have to consider all possibilities."

His face twisted. "What? That mortal man?"

She stared at him with a poker face, and instead of elaborating, she said, "And I've been meaning to cut your hair."

Loki now scowled at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"Relax, rockstar." The corner of her mouth pulled up a little. She closed her laptop and leaned back on her arms on the bed. She saw the way his eyes trailed down her body, and her smirk just widened. "I just need you to look like your I.D photo, and less like _Loki the asshole who made people of Stuttgart kneel for him_."

"I don't need you touching me."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm definitely touching you. You need that haircut, okay? Even if it means breaking your arms to get you to comply to what I say then so be it."

He scowled and grumbled something she couldn't make out.

"Whatever," she said lamely, putting aside her laptop from her lap. "Let me fill you in with background info on our main guy here. Victor Scarface, as I like to call him, used to be a big fan of Johann Schmidt," she began, "So scar boy here had been intent on trying to study the tesseract that he tried to steal it from SHIELD in the early 2000s; just a skinny college student nerd by then. Before he turned all supervillianous, or is currently getting there. Handsome well-polished guy now. I won't even lie. A woman's man. I can imagine Yelena getting all up his ass."

Loki saw her roll her eyes. He crossed his arms.

She let out a sigh. "So the tesseract goes missing from Asgard, around the time he goes back to Latveria where signs of radiation start popping up on our maps. And yes, all pointed to his lab place. SHIELD follows his tracks when the tesseract's radiation disappears. And then we see our man trailing to Stuttgart, where he's currently located now." She smiled at Loki.

"And who is this Johann Schmidt, exactly?" He raised an eyebrow.

"He's dead. Not important."

"I don't understand what is stopping you people from catching Doom. To me he sounds like a harmless fool."

"Doom hasn't been the same as before. Well one thing I can say is that he might be using the tesseract to enhance the weaponry of A.I.M. That's how Yelena is connected to all of this. He has an army, you know? King of Latveria, of course, would have one gigantic army."

Loki scowled. "He's a King?"

Natasha laughed a little. "Yeah, do you have a problem with that, _fallen prince_?"

"Do not mock me, Natasha," he glared.

"Please don't catch feelings in this mission. The last thing I need is your ego clashing with Doom's and a battle of who's the biggest dickhead. Alright?"

"That will hardly take place, darling, I would have him on his knees in mere seconds."

She stared at him blankly before she stood up. "You know, it's not my problem you can't listen properly. Stay idiotic for all I care."

He went on to loom over her. "I am getting quite weary of your insults."

"I didn't know you couldn't handle them, big boy." She scoffed. She pushed him out of her way and headed to the bathroom door, but his presence appeared before her. He was so fast. Out of instinct, and also because she was startled, she punched his jaw. His head tilted to one side from the blow and they both paused.

She wasn't apologetic anyway. "You shouldn't have done that."

He turned his head back to her with a dark glare. "Do not ever touch me again."

She stared at him with defiance.

"I will destroy Doom and your precious Belova, even if it's the last thing I'll do," Loki said, coming closer to her until she felt his breath ghost over her face.

Her face was stoic. "You and I are taking a walk this afternoon, understood?"

Loki looked at her with confusion, his face losing its intimidation. "What?"

The door of their room knocked but he still stared at her.

" _Room service_ ," said the voice from the other side.

Natasha arched an eyebrow. "Eat some breakfast. You'll take your shower next and change clothes." She walked around him to the bathroom and shut the door closed. She prepared her shower.

Loki frowned for a moment and he walked to the room's door to allow the lady with their breakfast in.  
  
  


The whole morning till afternoon was spent with them still in the space of their room. He'd been flipping through channels on the television and soon found himself watching Sherlock Holmes obsessively.

She was busy on her laptop. He didn't even bother asking. She was busy with phone calls, changing either accent or language every time. She was writing things down on a notepad.

Loki glanced at her every time she paced around.

Finally, she checked her wristwatch and sighed. She closed her laptop and sunk her feet into her ankle boots, grabbing her army green jacket from the study chair. "Alright," she said as she shrugged it on, walking to Loki who was on one of the sofa seats. "Let's take that walk."

He turned off the television with the remote and stood up. As he did, she couldn't help but notice the way his shirt buttons were straining against his chest. She could see faint outlines of muscle. He was thinner than Thor but was still a sight to strangely appreciate. Well well. Who knew Nat could be looking at _Loki_ , of all people, like that?

"Natasha?" His voice called.

She raised her eyes to his face and immediately glowered at that maddening grin of his, feeling her face flush. " _Don't_ ," she snapped, feeling embarrassed, and stormed passed him after grabbing the room card from the coffee table.

He followed her out the room, biting his bottom lip. "I am a sight for sore eyes, wouldn't you agree, darling?"

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

"How does it feel?" She began in the few minutes of their stroll in a less crowded, peaceful, side of the town.

"How does what feel?" He frowned. "Being stuck with you? Torturous."

"Oh it's mutual. But that's not what I'm asking. What's going on with you being in the city you made a whole crowd kneel for you?"

He chuckled for a moment. "Is there something I need to feel?"

She shrugged.

He looked down. "How do you feel when you're in the city you've once caused mayhem?"

"You know the answer to that question, Loki," she answered and looked at him in the eye.

He stared deep into those green crystals of hers, spotting the gold ring in her irises. Her eyes had a storm behind them.

He sighed. "So that's how you want me to feel?" He asked. He realized they'd stopped walking. They were in a deserted park of some sort.

"I don't care," she said, "I don't give a damn if you feel a peculiar way about that. I'm just curious."

"Well I don't care about that incident. No one was harmed anyway."

She let out a laugh. "Oh no, buddy, nice try. You blasted a car and caused an accident with a truck in the streets. One injured guy and two dead people. You tried to blast my jet too."

"Oh. That was you?" He asked with a small playful grin.

"Our first meeting."

"How romantic. I tried to blast your way and I presume you tried to shoot me?"

"If it weren't for Captain Rogers fighting you. You were both all over the place. Couldn't risk it."

"Oh no. You wouldn't want to shoot your true love."

She cringed. "Stop."

"Why?"

"Because I will stab you."

He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Yelena is your true love, then. My mistake."

She sighed, shoving her hands in her jacket's pockets.

"She loved you and yet you didn't reciprocate the emotion. Tragic."

"Loki," she warned him.

"And why are we here, anyway?"

"Because I'm about to interrogate you," she spoke solemnly.

He stared at her.

"I did say I'm going to peel you slowly open until I get to the heart of this. This park is perfect for what I'm about to do with you." She crossed her arms. Watching him coolly.

He smirked. "Come at me with what you've got then, little spider."


	12. Chapter 12

"Look, I need to know your motivation here. Nothing complicated," she said calmly.

"You mean aside from being forced to aid you mortals in trade of my freedom?"

"You gonna spill the beans or what?"

"What do you think?" He leaned close to her, tantalizing her a little.

"I think this isn't about wiping your dripping ledger, Loki," she said with a hint of amusement. "You don't give a shit."  
He let out a low throaty chuckle, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"And what do you care?" He gave her a mocking grin.

"What happens when your part is done here?"

"I leave galaxies far away that not even Asgard and Midgard are close by."

She scrutinized him.

"How about that?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you just do that once those cage doors opened?" She cocked her head, corner of her mouth slightly pulling up. "You don't think you have a debt to pay anyway. You could leave as far as you want and not even Asgard people could find you. Unless, well, unless you're actually after the Tesseract."

"Is that what you think?" His face darkened, he stepped closer to her.

She took a step back. Eyeing him sharply. "I'm starting to think that. A lot of things are starting to not make sense about you."

"Why am I here, alone with you, then? If you believe I have ulterior motives. I would harm you right now," a dangerous step closer.

"Oh I'm not alone," her voice laced with light sarcasm.

He frowned.

"You told me that once you're finished with your business here, you're heading right back to Asgard. Back to your mama. Remember?" She raised an eyebrow. "You never said anything about leaving galaxies away. You're lying about something. Or a lot of things." She stepped closer to him.

He stood tall, face unreadable.

She trailed her eyes down his form, then back up. She smirked. She took the big collar of her jacket and said to the comms, "Go ahead. Shoot him," her eyes locked to his.

Loki's eyes flared in a split second before he gracefully raised his arm and with a flourish of his hand, the bullet got damaged by an invisible barrier and Natasha watched with a blank look as the broken smoking bullet fell to the ground. She looked back at him and scowled. Then her eyes went down to his metal braces.

Which disappeared.

"Knew it," she snapped.

She gave a signal in the air to the hitman.

Loki scowled back and his eyes swept passed buildings to look for the shooter. He spotted him in an abandoned building on top of the roof, three buildings away, crept down on the floor with his rifle on a tripod. A SHIELD agent.

He looked back at her.  
"You tricked me."

She smirked. "Yet again."

He returned the gesture, but coldly. "Smart girl. I was wondering when you'd surprise me."

"Bad timing?"

He glared.

"I'm not removing you off the mission, though. You're useful."

"What makes you think I won't kill you right now with a snap of my fingers?"

"Because I'm resourceful."

He hated her overconfidence. The way she spoke down at him.

He growled and grabbed her arm harshly, taking the direction where they came there. "Let's get prepard for the ball, shall we?"

She tried hard to snatch her arm away from his grip but failed. "You will listen to me in this mission, Loki, do you understand?"

He cruelly chuckled. "I'm the one with power here."

She couldn't keep up with his quick wide steps, practically being dragged. "Bastard," she spat.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

It was late evening, the time so close to their point of arrival to the ball.

Loki was not pleased about being played yet again by the same woman. His mood soured. Exasperated. Frustrated.

Surprisingly, though, she didn't contact Fury or her Avengers about this. Maybe she had the delusion that she could contain him. Her overconfidence leading her to think that she could control the God of Mischief.

Loki, if anything, was an uncontained mess of chaos.

And the Black Widow wouldn't be able to keep up.

He had too many secrets. Too many ulterior motives.  
  


When she was away in the bathroom, preparing for their attendance to the ball, he waited. He'd just shorten his hair up as she told him to, an old hair style he had before him and Thor had bad blood. He was dressed in a black dashing suit with a dark jade tie and a white shirt. Being in a suit made him feel power and confidence, like his Asgardian suit, but far more elegant. He wondered how Natasha looked. She hadn't exactly shown him her attire. After that thought, he smirked, an idea having followed after. Using his magic with a flourish of his hand, in just a few seconds...

" _LOKI_!"

...he heard her roar.

He weakly dropped his head to chuckle. "Oh dear."

The door of the bathroom flew open and slammed against the wall.

And there she was, adorned in a tall emerald satin slip dress.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her, his breath was seized. For a moment.  
Then he was back to being annoyed by her.

"Change it back." Her beautiful face was masked with a livid expression, the intensity of her anger matching her hair colour. _"Now."_

"You should see yourself, pet," he managed to finally speak. "Have I mentioned how amazing you look in my colour?" His voice smooth and taunting.

She grabbed one of her boots from the carpet and threw it at him but he dodged. He laughed. "You missed."

"I hate this colour," she told him.

"Do you, really?" He raised an eyebrow, remembering the night when she came back to the room where he was caged, and she was wearing a green nightgown. "Well that's too bad. You'll have to tolerate it because you are certainly leaving in that."

"It was better red." Her face was stern. "I want it red again."

"And you believe I'll obey you because?" He quirked up an eyebrow.

She threw her other boot at him, missing again.

He was grinning. "Such poor aim for an assassin," he teased.

"You're going to change my dress back to the way it was," she ordered.

He sneered. "Of course I'll not. I rather like it like this. You match my tie."

"I suggest you shove your tie up your ass." She pinned him with a glare. It only amused him more. "Is this about earlier? Me tricking you? I'd have my ego bruised too if I were you. Tricked not only once, but twice, by the same woman who's not even on godly standards. How pathetic you must feel."

He returned her glare. "You're pushing your luck, little spider. I might not spare you in the end of this mission."

"I'm not scared of you." She lifted her chin up.

"How stupid of you."

"Dickhead," she spat.

He clenched his jaw, green eyes dark and wicked.

"And I don't understand the meaning of this colour."

"I want everyone at that ball knowing that you're mine."

She frowned. "I'm not yours."

He chuckled. "Of course not. But you, as Natalie, are Luke's. You and I are Natalie and Luke. So, talking in basics here, you are mine."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Great thing Luke isn't an infuriating bastard like you."

"But isn't that the beauty of acting?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're full of shit. I've told you that, right?"

"First time I hear this. Any more new dry insults?"

"If you use any more magic on me, I'll remove you from this mission, and maybe Fury can toss you back into that cage. Do you understand?"

"I am not going back in that cage," he growled at her.

"You will if you don't change this dress." She put her hands on her hips. "Is that clear, God of Mischief?"

"You need me for this mission, silly." He began chuckling. "Do you think I'm dense? We are expected as a couple, too, or did you forget? If I go missing, that might rise suspicions to whomever's watching us."

Natasha clenched her jaw. He was quite right. He wasn't even a damn spy, not having to had done one mission in his godly years.

"Natasha," he began as he walked closer to her, "you are beautiful."

"And you think I'm not aware of that?"

He rolled his eyes. "A _thank you_ would be fitting."

"Tell me something I don't know then I'll thank you," she snapped. "We're not going anywhere until you change this colour, Loki."

He smirked and stepped back, bowing his head, "Fine by me, spider. I could care less about this ball either way." Loki had other ways of trapping Doom to get to the tesseract, but he knew she was going to leave this building in his colour. He was certain.

He sat on the sofa with his long legs spread; he couldn't appear any more arrogant than he did.

"Fine. You win," she drawled, dropping her arms back to her sides. She wasn't in the mood of arguing over a goddamn colour.

She walked to him until she was towering over him where he was seated. He stared up at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. She took his tie in her hand and pulled it upwards, motioning for him to stand up.

He smoothly stood back up and she stepped back for space to breathe, his presence strangely intoxicating. She rose on her toes to lean up and ghost her red-painted lips along his jaw to his cheek, and kissed there in such a bare touch. " _Luke_ ," she whispered seductively in his ear, " _you always know what a girl wants. I've always wanted a green dress._ " It was all of a sudden just like the plane. He ached to touch her, but didn't want to give in to her ridiculous seductive tricks. He was better than that.

She ran her hand down his chest and moved back. His eyes followed her intently. She ignored the feeling his stare caused before she punched his larynx and watched as he held the front of his throat and choked.

"Jackass," she said with a scoff, shaking her head, and turned around, walking back in the bathroom. "Now I have to redo my make-up again," she snarled out the last word. Once she slammed the door of the bathroom harshly, she heard him cackling like a mad man. _That son-of-a-bitch_ , she thought angrily. She huffed and began wiping her red eye-shadow to apply a green colour.


	13. Chapter 13

She'd gotten them on the list. Loki had an idea it was what she'd been busy with this recent morning. He didn't know what connections she had, it wasn't relevant to him. 

Natalie Rushman & Luke Ainsworth were a wealthy couple, Luke an industrialist and Natalie a former ballerina from St. Petersburg. It was love at first sight for them, in the cold winter in England. She was going to dance at a theatre and they were introduced before her show through some mutual friends.

 _Love at first sight._  

That earned a sarcastic laugh from Loki.

The first time he saw Natasha, in fact, she was a thorn on his side. She'd been quite a pain even after he was brought back to Asgard, before he was banished to this odinforsaken rock of a planet to see her again. He wouldn't stop thinking about her and his ultimate humiliation.

The rage had calmed since then, and it'd turned to genuine admiration. No one had ever crossed the god of trickery & deceit until she came along. And the worst part was that she was a seductive specimen he didn't trust himself around with.

She was absolutelystunning in the dress, and that wasn't because of the colour.

She was all grace and beauty when he took her hand as she came out of the limousine that she'd arranged for them. She arched an eyebrow at his chivalry and he couldn't help but smirk, reminding her that it was all an act.

Of course.

They walked up the steps towards of the limestone mansion, their hands laced together. Clasped together. As a couple would hold on each other.   
They said their names to the guard at the entrance who nodded & stepped aside after he saw their names on the guest list.

They walked into the amber & gold hall, crowds of stylishly dressed men and women conversing around, holding glasses of wine or champagne. The atmosphere was welcoming, violin music played by a band in front. 

The two sunk in the ambience, casually walking around to stop at an empty space just far from crowds. She grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray held by one of the passing waitors. Loki was still holding her hand.

"Are you alright?" 

His question almost made her spit out the liquid from her mouth, but she reacted smoothly. "I'm fine."

He looked at her.

She raised an eyebrow at his 'concern'. "No one can hear us here," she reminded.

"So what?"

"So you don't have to care about my well-being." She looked away from him.

He chuckled, tugging her hand so that she was closer to him. She sighed when her side was flushed to his. "Don't be silly, Natalie. You are the most important thing to me. Of course I'll worry."

"Don't worry about me, worry about yourself."

"Is that a threat?"

"I don't know, sweetie, is it?" She teased.

"If it is, I am way out of your league."

"What, because you're hot shit?"

"No." He frowned. "It's that easy, Natalie. I'm simply above you all.

She almost rolled her eyes but was too busy focused on finding a particular handsome dark-haired tall man. Her sharp eyes darting around the crowds. The few men who fit the description didn't have Doom's face.

She turned to Loki and placed her drink on the nearest table. She curled her arm around his shoulder. "I trust you not to do anything stupid." The corner of her lips tugged upwards.

He chuckled. The sound was quite chilling but yet so familiar to her that she found it warm. "What? What do you mean by that? You think me a dimwit?" He raised his eyebrows.

"This dimwit who's been tricked twice by the Black Widow sure has a chance to be tricked by someone else."

His face darkened. "Do not underestimate me, darling." He shrugged her arm off. "I will not allow anyone else on this planet of yours to beat me at my own game. Do feel flattered that you are the first and definitely the last creature to fool me, because it will not happen again."

"Oh, but that arrogance will be your downfall."

He scoffed. "You speak to me of arrogance? Have you met Thor?"

"Yes, I have, actually. We go to work together."

He ignored her sarcasm. "I know my abilities, spider."

"And that is?" She taunted.

He coolly stared at her, getting vexed with her for making him feel so foolish. 

She quietly giggled at his dark gaze and put both arms over his shoulders,  locking her hands at the back of his neck, pulling him closer. "I trust you not to do anything stupid, though," she said. "Because you have an endgame. You have a goal." Natasha quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "Doom is your priority as he's mine. I need that cube."

Loki's eyes deeply locked with hers, trying to unravel her thoughts.

The intense staring lasted before she turned away, her arms falling from his shoulders. She took her glass of champagne again and drank before pulling the glass back when her eyes were set on a familiar face. "Look who it is." 

She tipped her glass at the direction she wanted him to look at, and he moved forward when his eyes laid on him.

Victor Von Doom.

She quaffed the last remaining champagne and placed the glass back on the near table stand. She locked her arm around Loki's and they were on the move.  
  


Victor was standing in a group. His hands in the pockets of his silver trousers, dressed in a wool-silk suit. Though the posture wasn't expected to be elegant, Victor made it work. 

He was the quiet one, his face unreadable.

Natasha and Loki slipped in the group with ease, unnoticed. Loki was standing beside Victor who didn't give them his notice. An older man in the group was speaking, in the middle of a tale. Natasha rose an eyebrow while Loki's teeth grinded at the speech.

"-- _we_ men built everything you see, use, buy. We are in charge of all the nations, of all the networks in the world. We have our name behind the terms 'fe _males_ ', 'wo _man_ '. Do we not realize that our destiny has not been filled yet? As the world gets older, as new generations arise, we are only getting weaker and weaker. Do we not realize the true potential we hold--"

"And what is your potential then, if I may ask?" Loki couldn't help but chime in with a cruel smirk on his face. 

Natasha eyed the man carefully, clearly he was drunk. _Very_ drunk.

The man stopped, turned to Loki, drunken annoyance set on his gaunt face. 

"Well?" Loki arched a brow.

"My potential, just as every other man's should be, is fulfilled."

"And what exactly is it that you've conquered?"

The man smiled, but it was empty. "What else? I am rich, married to the finest lady, I hold authority--"

"So you are what men should be looking up to?" Victor interceded.

Loki stared at the man whose mouth was gaping.  "Well? The gentleman asked you a question," he said.

Everyone who had looked bored listening to this fool blabber on were now piqued with interest.

"I would not want to sound as if I believe I am the ideal man--"

"Because you do," Victor added.

The man ignored him, forcing a smile, "--but perhaps all young boys should. We all started with an idol at some point."

Loki snorted, drawing all the attention to him.

"Do you have something to add?" The man's exasperation was seeping in his words.

Natasha was far too entertained to stop Loki.  
"Nothing. Just wondering what makes you think you are the right idol, is all." _Because you're too much of a simpleton_   _for anyone to look up to,_ he wanted to add.

"Oh, Luke, leave the man will you?" Natasha intervened sweetly and smacked Loki's side. She looked back at the man whose ego was probably bruised. "Do excuse him. He can be a little too much in these events. He's anxious."

"Darling, why tell a stranger of something so personal?" Loki's voice was delectable when he spoke to her. 

"Because you're being rude," she whispered loudly to him, as if embarrassed, so the others could hear.

"The women, hey?" The man spoke, evoking the exasperation from Loki again, "They know how to control us." He then looked at Natasha. "Perhaps you should put him on a tighter leash."

Loki's hands balled to his fists but Natasha put a hand on his chest. The man watched their exchange with a smirk before his face blanched when he looked at Victor who was glaring daggers at him. Natasha quickly noticed this. 

"I'm Victor," he gestured his hand to Loki who was a little surprised by the sudden introduction.

"Luke. Luke Ainsworth." Loki shook his hand. "This is my fiancé, Natalie." He placed his hand on her shoulder as if he were proud.

Natasha gestured her hand to Victor who took it and gently pressed a kiss to the back of her palm. "It's a pleasure," Victor said with a hint of a wicked smirk on his face, his cutting eyes lingering on her before they were set on Loki again, who looked annoyed.

Even though it was all an act, Victor didn't have the decency to not look at another man's woman like that, and it aggravated Loki. But only slightly. Only slightly.


	14. Chapter 14

"Have you noticed something?"

"He introduced himself simply as Victor. Not even as 'King of Latveria'," Loki said back in a lowered voice.

Victor was still in their sight, only standing feet away in a space among other riches, watching everyone with familiar arrogance and displeasure on his face.

Natasha stared at Loki as he watched him and she smiled. Of course that was the first thing he noticed; Victor not including his status in his introduction. "Well that'd be because he didn't come here as Victor Von Doom or 'King of Latveria'," she responded, "I saw the look he gave that man. It was very hostile if you ask me."

They were now looking at the man, the one with the drunken speech that had annoyed both Loki and Victor. He was still talking to the same group which had lessened to only a few people listening to his nonsense.

"Who is he anyway?" Loki asked; the clear disgust on his face making Natasha chuckle.

"That's what needs to be found out."

He smirked. "I'll talk to him then." He moved but she stopped him with her hand to his chest.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere. You've pissed him off. Go deal with Victor." She smirked. "Seems like you two have a liking to each other."

Loki furrowed his eyebrows. "I have no opinion of that man. He simply possesses what doesn't belong to him."

She lifted an eyebrow. "And who does the cube belong to exactly?"

He pressed his lips together, not responding.

She blankly stared at him.

He leaned in and kissed her near the corner of her lips, his arm curled around her waist to flush her body to him. He sighed as he pulled his head back. She stared at him with narrowed eyes when he stepped back away from her.

"Go talk to that vain ignoramus," he said and turned away from her.

She watched his back as he retreated to Victor, as she was frustrated with him. She quickly fumed. "Bastard," she muttered. She was going to find out what Loki was hiding.  
  
  
  


When Victor watched as Loki approach him, he lifted both eyebrows; curious. "Mr Ainsworth."

"Victor," Loki responded back, the name rolling off his tongue feeling strange to him. He joined him, standing beside him as they watched the crowds.

"Miss my presence already?" Victor smirked.

Loki returned the smirk just as wickedly. "You've made quite the impression."

Victor chuckled. "So have you."   
It was silent, before he spoke up again, "That man... That backward dunce..." he said coldly, his eyes on the man that Natasha was approaching. "You should keep your woman away from him."

"And why should I? He seems gullible. That ignorant dolt is harmless."

"You are right. A fool he is. He knows naught. He thinks he's a god."

"All men believe they have some form of superiority to them."

"Others don't need to show it off."

"What's wrong with showing it off? Especially when you're entitled."

"You show off, Mr Ainsworth? Well, at least you don't seem like a buffoon to me. Hopefully you aren't."

"I show off. I don't do speeches."

"Alright. That sounds promising. He, though, he suffers from a vain disease." Victor scoffed and grabbed a glass of champagne from a tray of a passing server. He finished it all in one swig. "The arrogance," he hissed.

"And why let that imbecile get to you?" Loki asked, a little curious.

"Because I cannot stand men like him." Victor's voice had an aggressive edge to it. "Men like him get away with everything because of their simple titles. Their undeserved power. They've done questionable things in the past and remain unpunished."

"Why? You've had your experience with such men?"

"I have. With him." Victor's eyes darkened.

Loki was in thought, going through all the information he'd stored from what he'd recently learnt about Doom. 

" _That man Victor Scarface, as I like to call him, used to be a big fan of Johann Schmidt,"_ were Natasha's words.

" _So you are what men should be looking up to?_ _"_ Was Victor's question. 

"May I ask you a question?" Loki spoke, finally.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"What makes a great idol?"

The man frowned for a moment, before he smiled. "Certainly not that oaf."

Loki chuckled. "Oh no."

Victor pondered for a moment, pressing his lips in a line. "Someone... you intend to top."

That sentence engraved itself into Loki's mind more than he liked. It immediately linked his thoughts to Thor.

_An idol._

For so long he'd thought Thor a witless fool, for so long he'd wanted to be just like that witless fool, he even tried to be better.

"Who is your idol?" He asked Victor.

He grinned. "My idol? I'm afraid I might scare you off. I don't exactly look up to heroic men."

Loki smirked. "I'm not easy to scare off."

_Oh but Loki was driven by fear._

"Are you familiar with the Red Skull? A man so frightening, so ambitious. He could've had the world in his hands, were it not for the _heroes_ ," Victor's mouth rolled at that word.

"The Red Skull?"

"Yes. Johann Schmidt."

Loki raised his eyebrows. "And you mean to top this man?"

"I already have," Victor chuckled. It was dark and full of malice. It was familiar, as Loki had taunted people with that laugh.

"If you've already topped him then he isn't your idol any more is he? Looking into your definition of 'idol'." He quirked an eyebrow. "And what is it that you've done that he hasn't?"

"His arrogance was his failure. He was too confident in himself to broaden up his mind. He had no idea what was in his possession..." Victor's face darkened. "I, unlike him, have travelled between worlds."

Victor's words were far too familiar.

 _I've seen worlds you've never known about. I have grown, Odin's son, in my exile_ _!_ Loki remembered snarling at Thor, possessed with such malice and darkness. His most unstable state.

Loki swallowed, feeling a chill shoot up his spine.

"Who is your idol, Mr Ainsworth?" Victor asked, his voice tantalizing.

"My brother," his voice came out in a crack, and he cleared his throat. He shoved his shaky hands into his pockets.

They were silent, watching Natasha dance with the man. People were on the dance floor with their partners. It was just like the balls in Asgard.

"Shall I save her from that fool?" Victor asked.

Loki frowned at the suggestion.

Victor moved before he could even answer that.  
  


He walked through the crowds as if he were untouchable, his tall form slickly moving around the dance partners on the large space. 

He stopped behind Natasha, and the man who was holding her pulled away as he saw Victor looming over them.

"Let me dance with the lady," he ordered.

Natasha frowned as she turned to Victor. She then looked past him to find Loki watching them. She looked back at Victor's face then; hesitant. He stretched his palm out to her. She stared down at it, deciding.

She could try and get out something from him.

"Well, thank you for the dance, Wilmur." She smiled at the lanky old man, sensing the tension between him and Victor.

"A pleasure, Miss Natalie." Wilmur smiled and looked at Victor. He didn't have anything to say to him, so he walked away.

Victor took her by the waist and held her other hand, and they began dancing to the smooth violin music.

"Was my fiancé at his best behaviour with you?" She quipped.

Victor chuckled. "Worry not. Him & I see things similarly. I like honest people. I respect men like that."

"He gave you permission to dance with me?"

"He didn't have to."

She raised a sharp brow. "Really?"

"Really."

"I'd rather have him as my dance partner, actually, Victor."

"I doubt he's a better dancer than I am." His face was smug and dangerous. Spinning her around then catching her and pressing her to his chest, before bending her over his arm. Until the tips of her short hair touched the polished floor. He hissed staring at her bared neck before slowly raising her back up.

"You're making a very obvious flirtatious scene with me, Victor."

"I'm an honest man, dear. I don't have to hide my feelings to what I want."

She looked past him, to make sure Loki was there. He still was. He was watching them intently. Scowling.

"And what do you want?" She asked Victor smoothly.

He laughed. "You'd be quite the trophy to have."

Her breath hitched.

They danced and danced.

Finally Victor spoke again, "How's Wilmur?"

"Excuse me?" She spoke distractedly.

"Mr Weber."

"Oh." She cleared her throat. "He's..." she trailed off.

"Don't finish that sentence, actually. I know what you're going to say; especially since you have to think to describe the moron."

"You don't like him." She pointed out.

Victor stared at her, smirking. There was something vicious in his eyes, so blue and so powerful. She couldn't keep her eyes away from his. "Neither does your husband."

"My fiancé," she corrected.

"Boyfriend, husband, fiancé. Whatever your story is."

Natasha kept cool. She didn't say anything.

"Keep away from Wilmur. He is none of your concern." His voice was unkind yet soft.

"Why? He's not so extremely vile."

"Do you think me stupid?"

"I'm sorry?" She felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the blue in his eyes swirl, and a brief yellow glint.

"I have come too far to be stopped."

She arched an eyebrow, sensing desperation in his voice. She waited, wanting him to get to the core of things already. She wasn't scared, but she didn't feel completely safe either. His hand tightened around hers, and so did his arm around her waist.

She stopped breathing when he lowered close to her ear, whispering, "I am flattered that they sent me the Black Widow. The cunning Natalia Romanova." He raised his head back up and smiled down at her. "I have heard so many stories of you. Truly frightening once you get deeper." He chuckled merrily.

Her face remained stoic. "So did you like what you found?"

He let out a chilly hiss, pleased. "Such a past you have."

"Torture was significant in the Red Room," she said.

"But pleasure was quite fundamental for you wasn't it?"

She let him talk. He could throw whatever he wanted at her but she was at her most stable state of mind right now. She was focused.

"Through the pain you sought a home to the pleasure from the killings. It was your way to cope, wasn't it? To not ruin into insanity like the others. The others who could not survive; who could not withstand any more as you did. But you have ruined a lot of families. You've played god for a long time, taking lives whenever you please. Still now you remain unpunished."

"I'm flattered, you know. You've taken your time to study me." She did a mocking head tilt.

"Well you are interesting," he admitted. "Such a pity you will be bent as everyone."

She quirked an eyebrow, feeding into his words carefully. "I'm unstoppable," she added.

Victor let out a chuckle. "Are you? Perhaps in other areas. Not in this. You're not almost powerful. But, we could make a proposition. I want you. I wouldn't want to have to kill you."

She watched him carefully. "Where's the cube?"

"Oh come on, dear. What do you say?"

"I say I'd rather turn to ash than ever be yours."

He glared down at her. "Your choice then."

"So. You're here for Wilmur. What's going on, Victor? Aside from trying to 'bend' us all as you said."

"I suggest you stay out of that if you know what's good for you."

She narrowed her eyes.

His face darkened and the lights in the hall flickered, making a lot of the guests stop for a moment and warily look up the golden ceiling. Victor's eyes were a mixture of a deep blue and gold, his glare set on her, his grips on her tightening.

She stared back at him determinedly, unbothered by his threat.  
  


His eyes averted from her and looked over her, where Loki was standing right behind her with a threatening glare of his own.

Victor let go of her. She didn't move though, staring at the man darkly as Loki was.

"Do not follow me," Victor growled at them.

The two watched the man briskly walk away.

"We won't let him get away, right?" Loki spoke.

"No. Of course not. But we can't let him see us."

"I know a spell."

"He's going after Wilmur."

"And?"

She looked at him. "What do you mean 'and'?"

"I don't care for his life. I want the damn cube."

"He might be a tool in Doom's schemes, Loki." She caught his arm.

"Who is Johann Schmidt? Who is Red Skull? Hm?" He glared down at her and stepped closer. "Why didn't you delve into him? I would've handled my conversation with Victor a lot better."

Natasha sighed. "Now's not the time for this. We need to follow Doom."

He was merely staring at her.

She was growing frustrated with him. She returned his annoyed stare. "Focus," she hissed.

 _If_ _y_ _ou fail, if the tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he can't find you._ _You think you know pain? He will make you long for something sweet as pain..._   
Loki felt himself tremble.

"Loki?" She stepped into his vision, studying his face. She reluctantly went to hold his hand. She touched his face. His skin was cool against her palm. His eyes snapped back to her. She immediately withdrew her hand. She stared. His eyes were wide with emotion, so vulnerable. She needed to find out just what he was hiding. He looked... scared. "Loki, focus," she said softly this time, squeezing his hand.

He briefly closed his eyes and let out an exhale.

She watched him closely.

Then when his eyes opened; they were fierce again.

"Right," his voice had a growl in it. It almost turned her on. He pulled her hand as they weaved their way through the crowds towards the exit of the mansion.


	15. Chapter 15

They were outside, standing above the steps watching as Victor descended down them to his limousine which it's backdoor was opened for him. Before the man entered in, he looked up and smiled at them.

Loki couldn't help but sarcastically smile back and waved his hand at him.

Natasha sighed. "Don't do that."

Victor buttoned his suit before he ducking slickly into his limo.

"We won't follow him because we won't have to," Loki said. "When I shook his hand in our little introduction, the physical contact linked him to my magic. My action was voluntarily."

"So you basically made him a tracker."

Loki's face gleamed with pride and he bowed his head to her.

"How useful."

"That man is leaving as well," Loki pointed out, looking behind them.

Wilmur exited the ball with his security guard. He looked to be in a rush, not even acknowledging them. He was quickly led to a black SUV.

"Wonder what troubles him." Loki remarked.

Natasha frowned. "Victor left before him."

"But that doesn't mean he isn't after him."

"I'm sure he is," she said confidently.

"What relation could they have?"

"I haven't found out. What I do know, though," she licked her lips before continuing, "is that Victor is meaning to use the cube for the same reason you did. Either world domination or he has other plans for my race."

"He's used the tesseract before, Natasha," Loki said with a grave voice, a painful pang forming in his chest. He looked at her, "He- he's probably even..." he trailed off.

"Loki. He's probably what?" She stared up at him in intrigue, tugging his hand still around hers to get his attention.

 _He's probably even encountered_ _with_ _the Other; or worse_ , _Him_ , he wanted to tell her.

She tapped into the anxiety on his face.

He was not oblivious to her scrutiny, but he could not conceal his stress.

"There is a puppeteer behind all of this, isn't there? Is that why you're pissing your pants?" She quipped, but was serious. His cutting glare didn't faze her though. She continued, "You made one helluva show last year. Guess the credits really go to the mastermind behind it."

He ripped his hand from hers and glared.

She quirked an eyebrow, her words having gotten to him.

"Well?" She pressed.

"You know nothing," he growled.

"Well tell me," she said calmly.

"No mortal could handle this truth, Natasha."

She stared at him deeply, then took a tentative step closer. "I can handle."

His face softened at her statement.

"You know I can," she said softly.

"You think you know pain," his voice only trembled when he tried to snarl to scare her off. He should be embarrassed. He hated weakness.

"I _do_ ," she spoke angrily, "You _know_ I do, Loki."

He shuddered and stepped away from her.

She waited, but he didn't respond. She sighed. "But I'm right. You were a puppet, like Victor is now, a substitute agent for your former puppeteer."

He stared at her impassively.

"Where is Victor now?" She asked after accepting his silence.

Loki was relieved by the topic change. He was willing to reply to that.

He took a long pause, looking into space as his magic sensory spoke to him. "Still in his vehicle."

"You also have an ability to teleport from one place to another, right? Well once he reaches his destination you take us there. But we'll have to land feet away."

"Oh please. I could just conceal us with an invisibility spell."

"Doom also has powers, Loki," she notified him, "I suggest you watch your back."

He chuckled. "I saw that fatuous trick back there, with the lights. That mortal is no match for me, with his pseudo-magic."

She rolled her eyes. "Just focus."

"You think me incapable of concentrating?" He gaped his mouth at her, acting wounded.

She smirked. "Like I stated before, that arrogance will be your downfall."

"Am I that predictable?"

"Why do you think you're so easy to trick?"

"I am offended, Natasha. I am a complex man."

She smiled and came close to him, fixing his tie just to be close to him as she said, "You think you're unique."

"Yes."

She laughed at his tone; as if it should be that obvious. "You have these delusions when you want something, when you need to fight for something. You think the only way winning is by thinking you're the best."

He stared down at her. "What's wrong with that? When you start believing you're something, you become that."

Her hands stopped around his jade tie and she looked up at him. "That can be dangerous."

They stared at each other, quiet. She later slipped her hands off him but she didn't back away. "Is Doom still in his limo?"

He blinked for a moment before he answered, a little hesitant, "No actually... he isn't anymore." Before she could say anything his arm curled around her waist and her surroundings faded.  
  
  
  
  


Natasha frowned when she found them in a chaotic, noisy highway. Many cars had stopped, hooting, civilians concerned. A few feet away was Victor out of his vehicle, the limo parked in the middle of the street across Wilmur's damaged upended SUV. There was a small fire. Victor stood over Wilmur who was trying to crawl away from him.

"Hey, magic boy, how about you take care of this dress for me?" Natasha quickly turned to Loki who frowned at her for a moment before he realized what she meant.

When the feel of leather and heavy weight of her many other weapons surrounded her body, she felt the adrenaline. She nodded at Loki when he raised an eyebrow as if asking if he could intervene already.

It was a long time since he had a good fight.

He let the glamour fade away and his Asgardian war armour materialized as well as his horns when he stepped out of the invisibility spell.

Before Victor could harm the poor German man beneath him, Loki simply threw an energy blast at Victor as greeting, sending the man flying back.

Loki came closer to the messy scene.  
  


Wilmur looked to be in great fear. He stood up and intended to run away but Loki _tsked_ and grabbed the mortal back as if he were weightless.

Victor groaned on the ground but managed to stand back up on his feet, glaring at Loki with blazing dark yellow eyes. " _You_ ," he growled out and took retaliation by sending Loki a mystical burning blast which was immediately disabled by the demigod.

"Yes, me." Loki smirked and sent Wilmur away in a vanish. "Such power you have," he remarked sarcastically.

Victor sardonically grinned and flickers of electric spikes burned in his eyes. "You know nothing of my competence, _Mr Ainsworth_ ," he growled, "You will give me back that idiot so I finish him off, then I will kill you next."

"Is that so--" A dramatic force blast cut Loki and sent him straight into a building. Natasha watched this in slight awe but she mentally snapped herself back to focus.

She was still hidden in Loki's invisibility spell, she could do with that.

She aimed her Widow's Bites at Victor and released the 30, 000 volts of electro-static energy blasts. She snatched out her gun and cocked it as he fell to his knees in the intense electrocution. She ran towards him firing bullets, worsening his already weakened state. She grabbed a plastic explosive from one of the disc-charges on her belt and threw it at him. She didn't stop at the explosion. She went through the smoke and fire to fight him.

She grabbed him from the ground and pounded his face with punches until she was satisfied. After she sent a flying kick to his chest. She grabbed out one of her knives, watching him as he wildly searched around for the unseen force that was attacking him. But before she could advance him again, she felt an invisible rope wrap around her throat and with a rise of his hand she was driven upwards to mid-air. Suddenly the veil disappeared and he saw her.

"Oh," he crooned, "there you are, red slavic." She felt her windpipe crush slowly but showed no pain. He said, "I was wondering about you."

She fired her gun at him but he was unharmed because of a created protective force field.

He darkly chuckled, watching with a menacing grin as she rose higher and higher in the air by the summon of his hand. "Those flimsy bullets could do nothing to me."

For a moment there she thought it was game over, despite her lack of distress. But then, past Victor's shoulder, she could see Loki's shadow coming towards him. She almost smirked but instead forced out a whimper, brushing Victor's pride a little.

"There there, little spider. The pain will soon be gone," he whispered gently, his eyes glowing brighter. But then he groaned and staggered forward when he was impaled in the back by an icicle. Victor's summoning spell on Natasha released and she fell, but was caught in strong arms before she could collide with the ground.

She looked up at the real Loki who had her in a bridal carry as his duplicate behind Victor dissipated.

He smugly smiled down at her. "You thought I was going to let you die?"

"You're bleeding," she informed him. Her hand reached out to the wound on his head.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you sound concerned for me," he retorted.

She drew her hand away and raised an eyebrow. "What if I was?"

"I'd be touched."

Her lips tugged a little upwards. "Put me down." And he did.

Victor slowly slid the icicle out from his front and roared out loudly in pain as he did, the veins on his forehead popping.

Loki frowned. This mortal was unlike any other; so far he was hard to kill.

Then streetlights began flickering and the ground beneath them started quivering.

Natasha stepped forward with a grim determined look. But Loki put his arm out in front of her. She glared up at him for that. This was her fight too.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not good in writing fight scenes so you'll have to forgive me :(

Loki watched the forming jagged lines beneath them as the ground cracked soundly. He looked back at Victor. The wavering streetlights caught his attention.

Flames of electricity from the lights, and from other untelling directions, came into a full collision with Victor until the city power surge went out.

It was dark, even the headlights from some abandoned cars were out.

Loki lit up a ball of massive light in his hand as powered the bulbs again just as cars coming from many directions sped towards them in Victor's summoning. Loki reacted quickly. The vehicles came with a clash into his magic barrier and he hurled the cars right back to Victor who split them apart.

"Make me a weapon," Natasha ordered.

"Excuse me?" Loki asked a little baffled, spinning her away from Victor's quick bolt.

"Make me a weapon, magic boy." She smirked and shot a tear gas pellet from her wrist gauntlet at Victor who was too busy trying to tear them apart to notice. Victor forced a destructive long-lasting wave onto them and Loki couldn't hold the force field shielding them for any longer. He wasn't even sure he could conjure a weapon for Natasha. But it wasn't long until the tear gas pellet had an effect on Victor. The man's power on them ceased and he released a roaring scream. His hands immediately went to his eyes.

"He'll be blind for a moment," Natasha said.

Loki quickly materialized a long black spear in his hold. He handed it to her. "It's mine, from Asgard," he told her. "My uncle made it," he said this solemnly.

She held the heavy steel.

"I hope you're careful, Natasha." He stepped closer to her. Despite the blood and slight dust on his face, he held a softer expression for her.

"Is it just me, or do you sound concerned for me?"

He chuckled. "What if I was?"

"Well, damn, Loki, I'd be touched." She smirked.

Their staring was interrupted by the quivering ground. It was more intense than before, as the cracks deepened. Victor roared. The earthquake became vigorous.

Natasha suddenly disappeared from his side. He didn't let himself wonder. He shot Victor with a blast which did absolutely nothing to stop the ground from splitting into half; until there was a clear view of the hot mantle of the Earth below.

Loki stepped back. He was breathless when he felt the heat, the smell of deep lava.

Victor was looking at him. "Fight me, you coward!"

Loki snarled angrily and they raced towards each other until they came close to struck each other with powerful punches. They fought in combat, bursts and spikes of magic also coming in quick exchanges.

Victor caught Loki's arm and twisted him so his face slammed into the ground. He pressed his foot to his back and laughed. "This is where you and everyone else belongs. _Beneath me_."

Loki couldn't help but laugh at that. "Is that so, mortal?" He blasted a shot to his face. He spun and tackled him to the ground, but Victor blasted him off.

Loki grunted when he fell to his back.

When Victor got on his feet, saying, "You will hand Wilmur over to me," Natasha made a sprint to him and lashed the spear in his back. He turned to her and she dodged a power-charged punch. She swung the spear and struck him many times. But then he caught the spear. He grabbed it from her and used it against her. She was fast though; he couldn't get a hit on her.

She slipped under him from between his legs and jumped onto him, curling her legs onto his shoulders then around his neck. He growled and tried to pry her off. She shot her Widow's Bite into his head. He screamed out and hurled her off. She twisted away from his kick.

He tossed the spear aside and snarled down at her, his head still trembling from electrocution. She was back on her feet and she distanced herself away from him.

"You picked the wrong fight, Widow." Flames of electricity flickered in his palms. His hands arched in front of him and he formed a large ball of blaze. He looked back at her. She glared at him. He threw the enormous explosion at her.

She was tackled to the ground. Strong arms held her close, away from the burst. Victor's blast reflected back to him and he was thrown away from the impact.

She was in Loki's arms.

She forced her eyes open and saw that he'd burnt from the blast. She moved him off of her to assess the injury.

He hissed painfully as he was laid on his back.

"Loki." Her heart wrenching at the sight of him. Her hand hovered over his face, deciding whether or not to touch his bleeding ashy skin. She curled her hand to a fist, deciding against it. His skin was damaged from serious burns. "Damn," she said with a cringe, "you look like shit."

He laughed.

She couldn't help but smile a little. So genuine. "You saved my life."

"Second time now," he pulled two burnt fingers up.

She sighed. "God."

"I am."

She chuckled. "Jackass."

"That, too."

She stood up and went to go grab the spear.

Victor was standing back up in a distance away.

She looked down at Loki. Slowly, his burn wounds were closing up.

"I'm going to fight him. Until you're ready," she nodded at him before she ran off.

"Natasha..." he tried to stop her but her name was unheard. She was going to get herself killed.  
  
  


Victor chuckled at the spider running towards him from a distance.  
He stopped her, halting her brave little battle run. She couldn't move under his spell. He raised her in the air in summon of his hand, before tossing her off to the split crack of the earth, where lava burned.

It happened so fast. She was falling; she hit a rough surface before she fell off an edge, feeling heat and smelling smoke beneath her. Then she was caught before she could be engulfed by the heat.

She looked up, her eyes wide, dangling above the sea of lava below her.

Loki, still in his weakened state, held her arm tightly. He sighed. "I have you."

"Here," she gave him his spear back that was held tightly in her grip. He took it and vanished it away.

She swallowed thickly, making a mistake of looking down. "Shit."

"I have you, Natasha."

She saw the flickers of Loki's force field behind them as Victor shot a beam at them. The protective shield couldn't hold any longer.

"You have to take the fight elsewhere," she said.

He nodded.

She stared at him for long, a little uncertain with him now, before she was reluctantly pulling herself up to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later," she whispered in his ear.

Then he teleported her away.  
  
  
  


Natasha found herself back in their hotel room. She stood there for a moment, her eyes wide. She was a little distraught, leaving Loki alone.

She shook off those feelings. He could hold his own; hopefully.

She sat on the bed and grabbed her laptop.

She found one message from SHIELD, sent two hours ago. She clicked on it fast. It was an emergency.

 

_The sceptre has been stolen. SHIELD headquarters is destroyed. Intruder's identity is unknown. Half the team is coming to you._

  
She let out an exhale and cracked her knuckles.

She shut the laptop. "This whole mission just got flushed in the toilet."

-_-_-_-

Loki tackled him and their setting transitioned.

They were surrounded by trees, away from civilization. A forest somewhere in Germany.

Loki stood up and threw the man into a tree, the impact splitting the tree in half. When he forced himself to his feet, Loki threw knives at him which were barely dodged.

Victor pulled one out of his abdomen and summoned a tree behind Loki to crash down onto him.

The demigod looked above him and secretly smirked. He left his new-formed duplicate to squash beneath the tree trunk.

Victor waited in silence, eyes narrowed, watching the fallen tree intently.  
After a very long moment, he fell for the deceit and smirked. "Fool," he said.

Then he was stabbed in the neck.

Loki twisted the knife deeper but Victor seized his arm and flipped him over his shoulder to slam him to the ground. He pulled the knife out, blood flowing down his neck. Loki caught his wrist before the blade could impale his face. Victor applied more pressure, the tip nearing his eye. He applied his powers in addition to the pressure and Loki lost. The knife embedded into his eye and drove through his skull.

Victor huffed and stood up, satisfied.

But suddenly he was ascended up in the air and thrown in a distance far off, where his face was continuously scraped against mountain walls in a long ride, before being forced into a collision with trees back into the forest.

He rolled violently as he fell. He was halted when he slammed against a tree.

He laid on his back and groaned in immense pain.

He heard cackling.  
"Midgardians are so simple," he heard.

He forced himself to his feet and looked down at his tattered suit, spitting blood out from his mouth.

He'd been fooled, twice now.

He was not happy.

Loki finally appeared, a fat devious grin on his face.

Victor immediately struck him with a powerful blast and captured his fallen body. He took him by one leg and flung him into a tree. Then he grabbed him up again to slam him into another tree. He stomped his foot in his face. Loki shot a blast at him which threw him back, giving him a chance to recover. But Victor was on him again, punching and burning him with his powers.

Loki couldn't take the heat when he was exposed to the blasts. But he refused to be beaten by someone beneath him. He fought back; the best way he was taught, the best way he knew how.

Victor was battered to the ground and he couldn't escape the series of kicks to his face. Loki stopped for a moment and conjured giant rock in his arms to squash him. Victor sent a power charged kick to his face before he could drop it and the demigod was thrown feet away, his own rock ending up squashing him.

Victor stood up and walked over to his laying body. He pushed the rock off Loki's chest and grabbed him by one of the horns of his helmet. He held him down in a kneeling position and tossed the helmet aside, before he clawed his bared head. His hands sent electric energy waves into his skull until his screaming turned hoarse. He then grabbed him and threw him off into a tree, then shot a mystical blast his way.

"I am Dr Victor Von Doom, King of Latveria, and I am fated with glorious outcomes!"

Loki was in pain, everywhere hurt, but he couldn't hold back a laugh for that one. "Mother of Odin," he cursed to himself. Was this a nightmare? Was this his punishment?

Victor's lip curled in disgust. "What's so funny?"

"I've just heard that one before," Loki remarked, still laughing.

 _I am Loki, of Asgard, and I'm burdened with glorious purpose_.

Victor narrowed his eyes and walked over to him. He stopped to press his foot on his chest. "Who are you?"

Loki frowned up at him, ignoring the pressure on his chest. "What do you mean who am I? Do you not know who you're speaking to?"

Victor looked at him in confusion.

Loki rolled his eyes. "You mortals can be really ignorant for such petty beings."

"You will tell me your name." Victor applied more pressure to his chest.

He grunted.  
"I am Loki."

Victor's face softened, as it dawned on him. "...Loki."

The demigod beneath him frowned.

Victor began chuckling. "Loki! _The failure_!"

Loki felt something cold twist in his stomach.

"I was sent to kill you! Son of Laufey!"

A chill ran down his spine.

Victor laughed. "I am in luck!" He pounded his fist into his face repeatedly, leaving it bleeding and burned. " _You_ ," he growled as he brought him up to kick him into a tree, "are someone I intend to top!"

Loki wheezed in pain and turned to his back on the ground. He snorted out a laugh at Victor's sentence. "Well I am flattered," he retorted, laughing at his own joke.

"You laugh, Son of Laufey?" Victor grabbed him and clawed at his head like he did before, making him scream out as he burned his skull. "The heat is not so friendly with a Frost Giant, I see." He stopped the torture and punched Loki. "I am going to have so much fun torturing you. I am going to punish you for such disgrace. I won't kill you; not until I have Wilmur."

"I have no idea where he is," Loki said with a bloody grin.

Victor snarled and carried Loki's body up in the air before he slammed it back down to the ground.

"Perhaps I shall take you to Thanos instead; perhaps he'll be more fit to torturing you."

Loki swallowed at that name.

Victor noticed his distress and smiled.

"He will kill you," Loki said gravely.

"No. No, Loki. I am going to be the king of all realms and I will show you how to rule. I will cleanse all the evil in these worlds. All I have to do is deliver good service and all the universes will be mine!"

"You and I aren't so different. You will fail, and you will be hunted," he tried to warn, seeing Victor as his own mirror. His own reflection, but darker.

His words raged Victor. "I will top you!"

"You are spineless," Loki hissed.

Victor roared and seized him. He carried his body to the air, like shortly before, but brought him down to his bent knee this time. A sickening crack of his spine was heard. Loki howled out in pain.

" _Spineless_ , you say?"

Loki was still in shock, still crying out; laying limply on the ground, unable to move, unable to fathom what just happened.

" _You_ are spineless." Victor whispered, a dark look on his face. He stepped forward and hovered his hand over him, and began drawing energy from him.

It was so easy.

 

He was degraded to a worm; to an unmoving spineless thing. He couldn't do anything to stop Victor from stealing his strength, from stealing his trademark; his _powers_.

 


	17. Chapter 17

Not even the booming sound of thunder close by was heard by Loki, as he found himself in a mental state somewhere between desolation and agony. As every piece of him was withdrawn and stolen, as the last living swirls of his magic were extracted, he didn't believe he was alive any more. No, he was alive. He was just a breathing sack of nothing.

When Victor was done, when he had eaten even the remnants of his powers, he stopped and inhaled dramatically, spreading his arms. It was as if he was breathing in new fresh air. 

And he, too, had ignored the booming sound of thunder and lightning. 

Just as his hand hovered over Loki, ready to eliminate the man he'd replaced, saying "Goodbye, bastard son of Lauf--", he was cut off by the heavy slam of Mjolnir, driven back into an endless amount of trees.

Thor paced to Loki's body and knelt down beside him, finding his eyes wide and unblinking. He panted. "Brother?" His voice cracked. "Brother, it's me. Can you hear me?" He held his face. "Loki. Where is Natasha?" 

Loki's wide eyes were pointed to the dark sky. 

Thor felt dread pool in his stomach.   
Loki was probably in shock. He didn't move, wasn't even speaking or looking at him. Thor hoisted him up, carrying him over his shoulder. He summoned for Mjolnir and once it was in his grip again, he took off flight.

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

The door softly knocking brought Natasha up to her feet instantly. She thought it was too quick, but she needed someone over already. Waiting made her anxious, she couldn't sit still. 

She looked through the peephole and let out an exhale of relief to see Clint on the other side. He was looking down both sides of the hallway, his hands on his hips.

She opened the door. 

He straightened and instantly smirked, hitting her with a sultry, "Hey, sweetheart."

She raised an eyebrow. "Hey yourself--" She was surprised with an amorous kiss to her lips, his hands on her hips as he pushed them in. He shut the door behind him with his foot. 

She let out a moan as he dug his hands in her hair. They'd done this before, a few years back, but never had he been this provocative. 

Natasha didn't feel the slight prick in her neck, lost in the moment, until it was too late to react.

Clint stepped back once their mouths were throbbing. 

She stared back at him in shock. In his hand was an injection. She frowned at him in confusion as she felt her body muscles shut down and fell forward. He caught her. "Whoops," he giggled.

He carried her over to the bed, laying her there as she panted in panic. "Calm down. It's alright," he cooed, pushing loose curls behind her ears.

She couldn't talk, her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. She could only let out a whimper. 

He sighed in what sounded like disappointment. He sat down next to her on the bed after moving her legs. He shook his head, tsking with disapproval. 

"Jesus, Natalia," he said, pressing his fingers on something on the side of his neck. His voice turned feminine with a deep Russian accent, "How sloppy of you," and the photostatic veil flickered slightly to a familiar attractive face until it fully cancelled itself. "I know I'm that much of a great kisser but this is unacceptable, маленький паук." Yelena removed the wig and her light blonde silky hair fell to her shoulders. She pushed her hair back.

Natasha's body was numb and still. Her chest heaved. Her mind was working in gears but she couldn't move to punch the other woman in the face. She wanted to say something; something snarky that would piss her off, but nothing came out. 

Yelena slid off the leather jacket and the men's jeans, revealing a tight black leather corset jumpsuit. The old iconic Black Widow suit from their factories. The one that Natasha was wearing, though, was an upgraded SHIELD version.

Natasha could only roll her eyes at Yelena who raised an eyebrow. "What? Don't act like you're not at all attracted to me, красный."

Her heart pumped fast. 

She felt like she was living the worst horror yet; just watching, unable to move. 

Yelena walked around the hotel room casually. "So you believed that he'd actually kiss you." She stopped by the small fridge and knelt down to open it. "I knew it. You and your various lovers." She grabbed out a coke glass bottle. She closed the fridge and stood up. Then she grabbed the Doritos chips package. She opened it and ate. 

"This one's surprising for me," she continued, "I don't get it. The hawk guy is too good for you; he's an idiot. And he's blonde. You've always had a striking taste for men. Tall, dark-haired, usually fucked up and misunderstood. I wouldn't be surprised if you were sleeping with that demigod, honestly. They all wind up attracted to you, too. Don't they? You've looked in the mirror; probably found that you're not so grotesque after all." She laughed to herself.

She carelessly tossed the Doritos pack to the desk and finally opened the coke bottle. She took a long swig. "Look, I'm not here for games. I promise." She placed the bottle beside the Doritos and walked over to her and sat on the bed.

"I am sorry for this, Talia. But I found it necessary. It's less dangerous if I were the only one talking. I don't trust you."

Natasha could only glare at her. 

"But hey, I brought you a rose." Yelena smirked and brought out a small rose from the leather jacket's pocket on the floor that she'd wore as Clint. "Dark and red, just like you." She laid on top of her, but carried most of her weight on her other elbow, not wanting to squash the paralyzed woman below her. 

She traced the redhead's face with the rose, staring down at her with softened blue eyes. "You've been a naughty girl, Natalia. Following me around like that and not contacting your precious SHIELD. Why?" Yelena narrowed her eyes, leaning her head closer to hers until they shared breaths. "Actually, красный, I know why. You could never really bring yourself to that, could you? For someone who sometimes denounces sentiment, you're one hell of an attached woman."

They stared at each other as Yelena became silent. She started slowly pulling Natasha's catsuit zipper down to the curve of her breasts. She reached her hand in and laid it above her breast, feeling her rapid heart beats. Her hand found warmth against her skin, as cold as it was, but she withdrew quickly and closed the zipper up. "Is you heart beating fast because of me or because of the paralysis? If the latter blink twice, if it's because of me blink once."

Natasha didn't blink, just full on glared.

Yelena rolled her eyes. "упрямый красный."

"Listen to me, Natalia, because after tonight I'm not repeating myself.  
Look, маленький паук, people like you and me don't get to have peace. Maybe for a moment or so. But what if I told you that we won't make tragedies out of our lives? What if you can turn your ending around? These Avengers, this Clint Barton of yours, forget about them. They don't know you as well as I do. They don't understand anything." Yelena took Natasha's hand. "Join me, Natalia. Forget Russia and America. Choose the winning side. Be the survivor I know you are. Because I won't stand to watch you die. If you stick with me, I will watch your back." She stared at her solemnly. "Something beyond people like you and me will happen, something bigger than your Avengers. Victor loves me, Natalia. I'll make him change his mind about you. You will be safe."

Natasha wanted to laugh in her face.   
Love. Victor Von Doom and Yelena Belova. 

"Blink if you say no to my offer. Blink twice if you say yes."

After all the pretty blonde just rambled, Natasha blinked once without hesitation.

No, Yelena, I will not be joining your villain tea party. I'm done with that part of me.

Yelena closed her eyes and exhaled, removing herself off of her. She pushed her hair back with feigned elegance, trying to calm herself.

"Have you ever loved me?"

Natasha merely stared at her.

"Did you even care?" She snapped, her blue eyes blazing.

Natasha blinked twice.

Yelena scoffed. "At least," she said.

They stared at each other. 

Natasha's eyes were burning with fury.   
Obviously.

"Fine then. You can stay with your SHIELD and your hawk man. I'm surprised I hadn't came close to killing that idiot but third time will be a charm." She smirked at that idea.

Yelena stood and walked towards the window. She pried open the sealing. She looked at Natasha one last time. "The paralysis will wear off in a few minutes. And don't miss me," she said, before she suddenly jumped out of the window.

 

Natasha was finally able to let the tears fall, her vision thickening in blurs by the second. 

She simply laid there, completely helpless and vulnerable.

It brought back terrible memories. She found herself reliving them.

 

The graduation ceremony is necessary.

Your mind and your body will never be your own. 

 

The little red spider, frozen under my hovering shoe.

 

Keep still. Keep still. Hush, little thing. 

 

Old spoken words ghosted in her ears, haunting her in the silence of the still room.  



	18. Chapter 18

"Whoa, whoa, beach boy. What's that heavy sack you're carrying over your shoulder?" Tony snapped as Thor disturbed everyone in the interior room of the Avengers Tower. "Is that a giant roadkill?"

"Where is Dr Banner?" Thor growled, never in the mood for Tony's senseless remarks.

"Where is Natasha?" Clint growled back, stepping forward.

Thor glared at the two men and dangerously walked over to them slowly, making them shrink from his broad tall form. He was very much threatening but all that Clint cared about was Natasha's absence.

"My brother was nearly killed by Doom and I arrived at the very last second. You will fix him and you will give me the honour to dispatch that mortal myself."

"Hold your horses, blondie. No-Wings here asked you a question. Where's the crimson-head?"

Thor stepped back for a moment and laid Loki onto his back on the couch before walking back to Tony with intimidating unstoppable strides towards him.

Tony knew exactly what was going to happen before it did but he didn't have his suit on to stop it.

He was grabbed by the neck and his hands immediately flew to Thor's wrist as he was strangled with his feet dangling in the air.

Clint was unfazed, watching the scene blankly. Stark always had it coming.

"You will aid my brother and I will kill Doom myself. Now I ask again, where is-"

"Looking for me?" Bruce decided to step in reluctantly, putting his glass spectacles back on. He gave Thor a nervous smile as Thor put Tony back down. "Sorry there. I've been busy down in the lab. Tony, your stupid robot butler is functioning again. Now you can still get your coffee and snack deliveries whenever Pepper isn't around."

"Really? Wow." Tony rubbed his neck and cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Well, thank you."

 

Clint had neared the couch where Loki was laying. He watched him with a frown.

Loki was looking back at him, but he didn't actually  _see_  him. It was an eerie stare.

His skin was so sickly pale that he might as well been dead. Clint cocked his head to the side at his lack of movement. Loki's eyes didn't exactly follow him. He didn't even look like he blinked once. "What happened to him?" He made the amusement apparent in his voice out of spite, and turned to Thor.

Thor gave him a brief stare before he turned back to Bruce. "Can you help him, Dr Banner?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

Bruce joined Clint and took out his flash pen from his front shirt pocket. He lit it on and directed the light to Loki's unblinking eyes. After the short assessment, he switched off the flash pen then studied his skin. There was a blue tint to it, or maybe he was just extremely pale and feverish. But when Bruce touched his forehead, he realized that Loki was colder than the dead.

Bruce frowned, feeling a little unsettled. "Um...yeah, ah, his pupils are dilated. Actually, he seems to be in shock." He turned to Thor. "What happened?"

"I only came in the fight later. I couldnt possibly know." Thor scowled, feeling useless. He pursed his lips as his anger simmered.

"His skin is super pale and his temperature has dropped in an alarming level. In fact, his skin is slightly blue. The guy doesn't look so good," Bruce grimaced.

"Well that's too bad," Clint said snidely, making Thor turn to him and step dangerously close. Clint just lifted his head and stubbornly crossed his arms.

"My brother is at his lowest. Are you not satisfied enough?"

Clint cruelly smirked. "Actually, I am."

"Look, I'm not a big fan of this guy too but I'm going to do my job whether any of you like it or not. So, Clint, your negativity is not needed here. Same goes for you, Tony," Bruce told them firmly, giving them each stern looks. There was no room for arguments, otherwise they'll have a word with the other guy.

Tony groaned. "You're forgetting this is my tower, butternut, but whatever."

"Please carry him to the infirmary. We all would but we know Asgardian bodies are heavier..." Bruce said awkwardly. He put his flash pen back into his shirt's front pocket.

Thor gave him a sad smile. "My brother is a Frost Giant."

"What's a Frost Giant?" Tony asked.

"Monsters," Clint shrugged.

Thor purposely ignored Clint's comment and carried Loki over his shoulder again before he was led to an infirmary room.

 

 

Thor laid Loki on the bed with care. Only when he stepped back did he see the tears in his eyes.

"Loki," Thor cradled his head with his hands, already anxious enough that his  hands shook.

There were more than two teardrops lining down his face, and it continued until it was a flood. Thor was hyperventilating, unable to do anything but say Loki's name over and over again.

Everybody was standing by the door. They watched Thor, feeling awkward and out of place. Tony felt a little bad for the demigod.

"Loki. Loki, brother. Why are you so cold?"

Bruce stepped forward and put his hand on his shoulder. "Thor, you need to give me some room to see his condition."

"Loki, please look at me. Please, brother. Loki," Thor's voice cracked, he was feeling hopeless and incredibly useless.

A stream of tears ran out Loki's eyes. Thor didn't want to tear up too, he wanted to be strong for his brother. So he held back his own tears.

"He's acting strange," Thor said. Then he started noticing the deepening blue on his skin. Bruce kindly showed him the way out and kicked the rest of the team out of the room.

Bruce closed the door and looked at Thor through the window pane.

He was anxious, obviously. Bruce will remind himself later to give him some tips to help get rid of stress. He couldn't imagine what he was going through.

He sighed and turned back to the other demigod he had to deal with in the room. He watched him for a bit longer, feeling specks of pity. He didn't wish anything good to happen to him but he didn't wish this either. Doom must be extra bad news if he damaged the God of Mischief like this.

He let out a long sigh and walked towards the bed. He scowled at the complicated armour that he definitely needed to get off.

At least he had an ability to solve complicated pieces.

He'll get rid of the armour in just a few.

 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  


 

Natasha heard the erupt sound of the door pounding repeatedly. It didn't sound like someone was knocking. It sounded more like kicks. The force weakened the hinges until the door busted open.

She blinked. She shuddered. She closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them again.

She was unable to turn her head, though she could move her hand a little. But she was unable to wipe the ticklish tears off her face.

Steve, in his Captain America mask, came into her sight, blocking the view of the ceiling.

"Natasha," he said gravely, looking at her worriedly.

Other SHIELD agents roamed into the room.

She stared back at Steve.

He clenched his jaw when he began to understand her state. She didn't miss the flash of anger in his eyes.

He placed his shield to the magnet behind his back and slid his arm underneath the back of her knees while his other arm circled around her waist. He lifted her up in his arms.

She'd made sure to take the rose with her.

She hung over his strong arms, her hanging head making everything in her sight upside down.

She wanted to kick Steve's ass.

She hated being man-handled.

Worst of all, he saw the tears on her face.

She was going to make Yelena pay for this.

Funny how she promised that while she held onto her red rose.  
  
  
  


She was carried into a quinjet and put on a makeshift bed. Her muscles felt heavy but they were working again. She hid the rose into one of the secret pockets of her black suit. She groaned and turned her head to Steve who was still by her side.

Since when did he become so attached to her?

She hoped he wasn't. Natasha came with a lot of baggage that not even Clint could fully handle.

"Where-where's L-Loki?" Her tongue felt heavy, resulting to the slurring of her words.

Steve turned his head to her. "Thor & I were on our way here before he just arupbtly flew out of the plane. From what I can assume-"

"He's...with him," she finished for him slowly.

He smiled. "Yeah."

She sighed. "Good."

Steve watched her carefully. "You were worried?"

Natasha groaned, stretching her sore limps a little. "No. Not really," she lied smoothly.

"And don't  _carry me_ again," she slurred.

Steve chuckled. "In another situation like that, you mean? Yeah, yeah, I'll carry you. I'd do it all over again, Romanov."

He removed his mask, revealing blonde hair that'd been mussed a little. She smiled lazily and turned her head away as the doors of the quinjet closed.

She let out a heavy sigh.

Damn.

She had quite the news to break to everyone.


	19. Chapter 19

"Look, this is serious. I can't really help here. I'm going to shortly explain this like a normal person so that every one here can understand. So excuse me for not sounding professional, as I've had cases of some of you not understanding my 'doctor vocabulary'," Bruce looked at Clint specifically who rolled his eyes.

"Get on with it, Banner," Clint snapped.

They were all resided in the living room. Tony and Clint were seated while Thor paced around as Bruce stood in the middle of the interior room.

"His spine, Thor, it's sticking out like a thorn under his skin, which is not a good sign, obviously," Bruce shuddered for a moment at that image, "The fact that he's still alive is a miracle. Okay, maybe I should consider the fact that he's not really human but any creature cannot possibly survive a spine damage like this. We are talking about a case of permanent paralysis here if not death."

Thor had stopped his pacings to stare at Bruce with a solemn look. "Is what you mean my brother is paralyzed?"

Clint raised his eyebrows, then quipped, "But snakes don't really need spines, do they?"

"For heaven's sake, Barton!" Bruce yelled.

Thor closed his eyes, trying to block out the other men and absorb this horrifying information.

Tony slouched back in the couch, pondering in the silence, before saying, "Actually, Bruce, you could've just said his spine is basically a snapped twig, that couldn't have been any more simpler."

"Tony," Bruce held his nose.

"I have had enough of you, Stark," Thor growled, meaning to hurt Tony who stood up for a face off.

"Oh really? You planning on failing to strangle me again, blondie? Hey, what about Barton? He called your brother a snake while I just stated the truth."

"And I don't take it back," Clint said.

Bruce stepped in between Tony and a very angered Thor. "Your brother is blue and freezing," he announced the other issue apologetically, "by the way."

Thor stopped, his anger subsiding. He looked back at Bruce. "What?" His voice was a faint tremble.

"What's going on, Thor? I mean, I've heard of the Frost Giant thing with him but didn't he have it under control even in his weakest state?" Bruce winced a little.

Thor stormed off to the infirmary room.

There was a chill in the room when he came in. He stopped his tracks when he saw Loki's state.

He wasn't fully blue and the Jotun marks hadn't engraved yet but the illusion spell was slowly fading.

"Brother, what is wrong?" Thor asked, standing by his bedside, looking into eyes that were showing some red.

Loki was now looking directly at him, and Thor was a little relieved at the change.

But his watery reddish eyes had a hopelessness to them. The sort of hopelessness that Thor once witnessed in Sigyn's eyes before she took her own life. It was centuries ago, but he remembered that look in her blue eyes. The look that dimmed the eyes of his brother now.

Thor took Loki's hand and squeezed gently. He rested his forehead against his, knowing very well that if he could move, he would've cursed him and harshly shoved him off.

Loki hated sentiment.

Thor pulled back. He smiled when Loki glared at him, though it was weak and forced.

"Can you talk?"

Loki merely stared at him.

Thor shook his head. "Forget I asked." He removed his hand from his blue one. Then he noticed that the colour of his skin had darkened, and so did the red in his eyes.

Thor swallowed.

He knew that Loki was unaware of his blue state. He wouldn't be able to move to look at his skin.

Thor hoped that it remained that way because Loki would panic. It would kill him. It was clear that he disliked this side of himself. He despised his heritage, and Thor didn't want to watch a show of his self-loathe.

"I'm sure Heimdall has informed Mother & Father of everything that he saw so far. I can tell you that Mother will certainly make a visit. I can't say the same for Father, but he'll worry as well." Thor knew that Loki wanted nothing from Odin, so he didn't have to linger about him. "I know she can help you, Loki. And I know she's the only person you'll allow to help you. She can tend this injury. We both know that."

Loki closed his eyes.

But Thor couldn't tell if it was because he was assured enough to finally take his rest or if it was because of feeling hopelessness.

It still broke his heart either way. He let out a sigh.

Hopefully their mother could also fix the illusion spell on his brother. Loki's reaction to his state, which he would found monstrous, wouldn't be pleasant in the least.

Behind him was Clint leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. To him, Loki's blue skin was really proof that he was indeed a monster, so he didn't have to say much.

He cleared his throat to announce his presence to Thor who turned to him.

"Is Natasha alright?"

Thor glared at him. "Can you not see that I am with-"

"Yeah, I don't care. We all have our issues here. Mine is Natasha."

"Why don't you go find out for yourself?" Thor growled.

Clint narrowed his eyes.

Thor turned back to his brother, ignoring him.

Clint turned away and left.  
  
  
  
  
  


Between the hours that passed, Thor came in and out checking on his brother. Loki's eyes were sealed shut, his face gaunt and he was the perfect image of silent misery.

Every time Thor came back checking in on him, the colder the room was getting. At some point on the clock, there was thin frost forming on window. The day was leaving fast. It began to darken outside. The last time Thor left after checking on Loki, he'd closed the door shut. So the next time he wanted to go back inside, the door couldn't budge. He was about to kick it open before Tony stopped him.

"Look, Hulk Hogan, just look through the window pane, okay? It isn't like he's going anywhere, with that broken spine and all. And I am not going to tolerate damage in my home after last time's show."

Thor glared at Tony, because _clearly_ the window pane had been frosted.

"Whatever. You're not kicking that door," Tony said after the awkward silence and walked off, yelling, "My house, my rules!"

And just in time as Tony entered in the living room, the elevator dinged and the doors opened to Black Widow leaning into Captain America who held her close. They both stepped out.

"Oh. Look who came in," Tony drawled.

"Nat!" Clint walked to her fast and attacked her with a hug, removing her from Steve.

She groaned as she was squeezed affectionately. She patted his back. "Barton."

"You alright?" He asked as he broke the hug and srroked her hair.

"You tell me. Let me inform you of this night, well, the night in Germany seeming as New York has finally caught up to night only now," she sighed, "Anyway. I thought you kissed me, then I thought you were a double agent psycho then I realized that all this time it was Yelena," she rambled, her speech slow but effectively angry. She couldn't carry her weight properly, which was why she was leaning incredibly into him. "And don't let go of me otherwise I'll drop to the floor. And don't carry me otherwise I will batter you to death."

"You have a lot to tell me, don't you?"

"Not a lot. But some interesting stuff. You're going to have to report to Fury about it as I'm sleeping first before any debrief," she said, then looked around. "Where's Loki? He's not dead, is he?"

Clint frowned. "So, you two separated. Why didn't he watch your back?"

She looked back at him. "I asked where the hell Loki is," she snapped.

"No one is going in that room," Thor said with a dangeorus voice as he stepped in.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, hi."

He nodded her way. "Natasha."

"And why can't I go to whatever room you're talking about?"

"Loki is in there and you can't see him."

She frowned.

"Because he's basically a blue freezing thing now," Tony said.

"Doom broke his spine, Natasha," Bruce walked in with a fresh new mug of coffee in his hand from the kitchen. He didn't look so good, much like her and Thor. Tired. Weary.

Natasha stopped breathing for a moment. "Wait."

"You heard right," Clint said.

She leaned off of him. She made it in a number of steps but then her legs gave out and she dropped forward.

"Natasha!"

She sat up and pushed Clint away, then gave Steve a glare to back off. Tony looked down at her worriedly and Bruce was anxiously tapping his finger against the mug.

She didn't want to be touched.

"He's not dead, right?" She asked calmly.

Clint frowned. He wanted to ask her why it mattered.

Thor answered, "He will be fine. Though there is nothing Dr Banner could do," at that Bruce looked a little ashamed but Thor continued, "but my mother will come here and she will aid."

"I told him to be careful anyway, so this isn't my fault," Natasha snapped.

"Um, no one is blaming you for anything," Bruce said with a raised eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. "I was talking to myself."

Tony snorted. "Well you totally make it obvious."

"Now I'm going to stand up. You'll all stay the hell away from me even if I fall again."

Tony frowned.

She groaned as she forced herself to her feet slowly then stood tall. "I'm going to bed now. I'm sleeping and I don't want any of you idiots disturbing me."

Tony smiled at her as she walked carefully passed Thor who almost touched her when she wobbled on her legs.

.


	20. Chapter 20

"These are pills for your forming headache, here's a glass of water. So you'll take two pills, put them in your mouth, take a sip from the glass, swallow. And then you will lay down to take your rest."

"Don't get cute with me, Barton." She popped the bottle of pills open from the nightstand. She took two pills and put them in her mouth.

Clint rolled his eyes when she chewed them up. "I didn't bring the water for nothing."

"You did and you know it." She swallowed the bitterness away. She then cleared her throat.

"A.I.M definitely took the sceptre," he said.

"I know. And Belova and Victor are lovers, not just partners. They're a threat. From what I gathered, they're going to destroy more than rule."

"Sure Loki isn't--"

"I don't..." she blinked. "No."

He frowned. "What was that?"

"What was what?" She frowned back.

"You aren't confident."

"Loki is not working with them," she said sternly, looking him in the eye.

"Okay. Fine. Whatever." He was still unconvinced. He just dropped it, changed the subject with a smirk. "So, did you kiss back?"

She raised her eyes back to him. "What?"

"When Yelena was impersonating me."

"Ew."

"Don't start with the fake 'ew' shit."

She shook her head. "After all that I've just told you, you're thinking of that?"

"Just a question."

"No," she said, "No I did not."

"But you didn't pull away either."

She narrowed a look on him. "I'm going to punch you."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Shut up."

He chuckled. "Alright, I'm just messing with you. So. Is she a good kisser?"

"Oh, bozhe moi," she groaned with her eyes closed, leaning back in the pillows. "Just go away."

"And you have a good nap." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Alright?"

"Yeah yeah." She watched him leave. He closed the door and left her alone in bed.

She later found herself falling into sleep effortlessly.

She just needed rest because once she woke up, she knew that she was never going to sleep again. Not until they took care of this mess.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_It was just the crash of the waves and light whistle of the wind heard in the lonely beach. Her and the sand and the waters and the sky. The sun was absent, grey clouds enclosing the sky. ._

_The soft wind blew her red curls and caressed her skin._

_She turned her head when she felt his presence._

_He was sitting beside her, watching the running waves crash the shore. He wasn't smiling. His eyebrows were creased together in concentration._

_She cocked her head at him._

_"Loki."_

_He turned his head to her._

_Her soft smile fell off her face. Her eyes darted across his face, gathering all the signs of unhappiness._

_She thought of Germany, of Doom, and the news of his severe injury._

_She didn't want to say anything about it. This was no place to say it. She wanted this to still be a dream. Just a little escape. She didn't want to drag any bit of reality in it._

_"What the hell are you doing intruding my dream?"_ _Her voice teasing._

_"How would you know you're dreaming? No one ever really knows until they wake up," he said solemnly._

_"Well."_ _She looked ahead at the ocean. "I would know because I don't belong here."_

_His eyes casted downwards._

_She turned her head back to him, "This is a dream because this place feels like home."_

_She stared at him intently as he reluctantly looked back at her._

_"Is this a mutual dream?" She asked, "Like the one before?"_

_And there was that small smile curling his lips. "I guess so."_

_"Well it's a nice change of setting," she_ _chirped_ _, "I'll tell you that much."_

_"Let's just hope..."_

_"No_ _other kiss between us?"_

 _He chuckled_ _._

 _She smiled for a moment, before she bit her bottom lip._ _"You know, you're not a bad kisser." She let her lip bounce back out from her teeth. "I lied."_

_"I should've been warned that you're this flirtatious."_

_"You know of my seductions," she said in a sexy drawl and winked._

_"Ever the Black Widow, wrapping up her web to catch the male spider."_

_"Hey, I didn't create the way of nature." She smirked. "Wanna be the male spider? Be my guest, bad boy."_

_His chest quivered with laughter and he made an act to shift away from her._

_She laughed._

_"Thanks for the warning, darling."_

_"Nothing hurts more than a spider bite. So you better stay where you are, sweetheart."_

_"Oh I will stay right here. Don't even mind me."_

_"Good. You can still look, though," she said, before propping her elbows onto the sand, leaning back. He looked. She bared her neck as she welcomed the wind, her red short hair blowing with it. A faint smile on her face._

_Later, she looked at him. A question on the tip of her tongue, "So you still think we're similar, or what?"_

_He gave her a cheeky grin._

_"Well?" She arched an eyebrow._

_"I thought you've already made your decision about us. Confidently."_

_"I'm not so confident anymore."_

_"I do that to you, don't I?"_

_"Well don't gloat about it."_

_He chuckled._

_She pursed her lips, staring at him, waiting._

_"I have an idea." He casually laid back on the sand, folding his arms beneath his head. "I say a statement, and you say your fact back."_

_She frowned. "What?"_

_"For example, a simple one, I like reading. And, your fact might be, you despise it."_

_"Oh." She shrugged. "Fine. And I actually love reading."_

_"You do strike me as the type. You're the more quiet in a group, I'm sure."_

_"I am."_

_"Same."_

_She scoffed. "Okay. Let's see how similar we are. Start."_

_"I love messing with people for the fun of it. Your turn."_

_She straightened up. "Well I mess with people in the name of the job."_

_"I hate combat, but I'm skilled."_

_"I never asked for my skill set, but I use it anyway."_

_"I don't care to be good."_

_"I'm trying to be, but I still like shooting and killing bad guys."_

_"I was born into a lie."_

_"I was built into lies."_

_"I have a selection of infamous names."_

_She licked her lips for a moment. "Black Widow would have to be the last thing I've been called."_

_He said after a long moment of silence between them, "I went for world domination."_

_"I killed people."_

_"I hate people."_

_"I hate emotions."_

_He paused, eyes to the sky. "I've been a puppet."_

_She watched him sharply. "Me too."_

_He gulped for a moment. "I might turn up dead."_

_She stared at him with a more neutral look, and started crawling to him. She sat down next to him. He sat up as she spoke, "It doesn't have to end like that for you."_

_He looked at her. "You care?"_

_"You saved my life. I owe you."_

_"You don't have to."_

_"No." Her hand went to cover his. "I don't. But I want to. Tell me all about this, Loki. Please."_

 

Her eyes fluttered open to the dark of her room. She closed them again as she wanted to go back and stay with him a little longer. But sleep wasn't going to come back any time sooner.

She looked at the glowing alarm clock on the nightstand table of the guestroom.

It was _03:36_.

She was still clad in her catsuit.

She sighed. "Shit."

She forced herself to her feet. The moonlight filtering in the room helped her eyes adjust to the dark. She stretched her limbs for a moment and was relieved that her muscles were loose again.

She walked out of the room and navigated through the dark passageways. It wasn't quiet on the way ahead to the living room as she could make out Thor's snoring.

She stopped at the infirmary room's door, feeling a sudden chill.

Her hand reached out to the knob and she shivered at the coldness of it. She scowled when it didn't twist. She didn't want to make a noise fidgeting with the knob so she stopped.

"Well. Guess that opens a question for a window."


	21. Chapter 21

Tony was casually leaning back in his chair with his hands folded behind his head and his feet crossed on the table. He sighed.   
"Jarvis, search up Wilmur Weber for me, will ya?" He ordered, staring up at the screen in front of him.

" _Yes, sir. Searching up Wilmur Weber,_ " the A.I spoke, before the screen loaded with thousands of results.

"Famous guy, huh?"

" _Quite_." Jarvis summarized, " _Wilmur Weber was born 1956 in Munich. He was privileged, his parents' wealth was passed on to him when they passed away. He used some of the money for his studies and became an attorney in the 80s. He moved to Latveria where he became a judge of a court in his stay_." Pictures were swarming up as Jarvis talked.

"Huh. Latveria. That's where our pal was born, right?"

" _The land of his kingdom, sir. Apparently Doom's mother and Wilmur Weber crossed paths in the year 1990."_ Tony looked at the black-and-white image of a scowling middle-aged brunette and arched an eyebrow. " _Cynthia Von Doom was known to be a delinquent. She had complicated trial for an alleged murder. There are theories that Werner Von Doom, Victor's father, tried to bribe judge Wilmur Weber and became unsuccessful. There aren't known reasons to why Weber called for an execution when it was clear that the homicide had framed evidence. The story is quite a mystery. But Victor's intentions aren't. It is probable that he seeks revenge._ "

"I love bedtime stories. What happened with the paps? Did they find happiness in the end?"

" _He took his own life the same year, leaving Victor behind. He was sent to the care of his uncle._ "

Tony sighed and scratched his head.

Jarvis spoke up with an alert tone, " _Sir, you have visitors_."

"What? Show me," Tony said immediately, sitting upright.

The screen showed the footage of the action down at the tower's entrance.

There were five of them, trying to get in but the doors refused to open.

"Who are they?" He demanded, squinting his eyes at their outfits. "I'm sorry, are these cosplaying thirty year olds? I'm..." Then he paused.   
"Thor." The light in his head eventually beamed.

" _Should I let them in?_ "

"Nope! Keep those doors outside shut, Jar." He rushed out of his lab office and went up the stairs to his interior room where he woke up Thor from the couch. "Wake up. Time to smell the eggs and bacon, my friend," he clapped his hands together once. "Come on!"

Thor groaned as he sat up. "It's still dark, Stark. It can't possibly be morning."

"Look, sunshine, there are strange cosplaying freaks at my tower and I need you to confirm if they are your people or not."

Tony walked Thor to the elevator and they both entered inside.

"My people?" The demigod frowned.

"Yeah. You know, viking-aliens."

The doors met and closed.  
  


-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
  


Natasha slid through the pried window she managed to crack open. She didn't realize the thin sealing was frosted until she came in. Her eyebrows creased together.

She quietly sauntered into the glacial dark room. A shiver ran up her spine. She made out a misty cloud when she let out a breath.

She walked to what was the shadow of the bed, very silently, not wanting to startle Loki if he ever awoken.

The floor was caked with a layer of ice; she was sure the whole room was. The pricking atmosphere made it feel like it.

She wondered if she made a mistake of coming to check on him.

She stopped by the bedside anyway, looking at the dark figure.

The moonlight seeping into the room helped reveal his physical state to her, and she was quite stupefied. She got closer, leaning in until she could feel his cool breath. 

Her fingertips lightly grazed his dark skin, feeling rough lines on the smooth cold surface. She traced those lines, those carved intricate patterns along his face.

She didn't see him fully, so she imagined his appearance.   
  


-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  


When Thor had hit the older woman with "Mother," that was when Tony froze.

The two hugged, before Thor greeted his comrades.

There was one female. She was beautiful.

He managed a chilled smile when Thor introduced him to the Asgardians. "Stark, this is my mother, Queen Frigga."

Tony gave the woman adorned in a golden dress robe a head bow. "Your Highness."

"A pleasure, Stark," the woman bowed back and politely smiled at him.

"And these are my friends, Sif and the Warriors Three - Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral." Thor grinned big.

The group didn't say anything and neither did Tony.

Then Volstagg spoke up, "So where do you have Thor's brother captive?"

"Nice to meet you too, red, which ever name your was. And he's not by any means held captive, not anymore. He's in a room-"

They passed him before he could explain any further.

They all followed Thor, and Tony just _knew_ that door was going to be kicked down.

"Dammit," he cursed and followed them.

They all stepped inside the elevator.

"It is a creative contraption, Stark," Frigga said when the doors closed.

Tony turned and grinned at the kind lady. "You know what, I like you."

"Good for you, Stark," Frigga smirked.

"You sure this your mother, Thunder?" Tony teased him.

"It's not everyday the Queen gets flirtatious compliments," Fandral grinned.

"Aside from you, charmer?" Hogun replied, making them all chuckle except for Tony who hadn't lived a thousand years with the Asgardians to sink in their atmosphere.

The lift finally came to a stop and they sauntered out.

They trailed behind Thor who led them to the infirmary room.

Tony groaned.  
  
  
  
  
  


Natasha turned her head when she heard the footsteps & chatter from the other side of the door, and frowned when it started kicking in. 

It wasn't long until the hinges gave out and the pounding stopped before the door was grabbed aside.

She merely raised an eyebrow at the new company, stepping away from the bed.

They were all surprised to see her there, and she didn't look the least bit impressed.

Thor frowned at her. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"I'm here to see what the big deal with your brother is," she answered flippantly.

Tony squeezed past the Asgardians and frowned at her. "Nat?" He searched for the light switch only to find out it was frosted over.

"A little light could help," a feminine yet stern voice snapped.

"The moonlight isn't enough?" Replied a manly one.  
  


Natasha felt strange at the stare she was receiving from the older woman who slowly approached her. She didn't step back though, but she was a little puzzled with the sudden scrutiny.

"You must be Natasha," the woman spoke, staring at her with a warm smile.

Natasha raised her eyebrows. "And you are?" She drawled.

"Oh, dear, how rude of me. I am Frigga, mother of two wonderful sons." She hardened her face when she looked at Loki and neared his bedside, "Heimdall told me everything." She was anxious seeing Loki like this and she cupped his cold rough cheek. A lump formed in her throat, as she was on a verge of tears.

"Can you heal him?" Thor asked, stepping forward.

"Yes. Yes I can..." Frigga said solemnly and added, "but there is nothing I could do with his Jotun state."

The others surrounded the bed, making out Loki's blue figure. As much as Sif disliked him, it was hard to suppress the sympathy. They all grew up with him, after all, as much as he was a pain.

"W-what is that supposed to mean?" Thor stuttered, getting emotional as well.

Natasha and Tony had stepped out of the room, sparing the family time alone.

Frigga quickly wiped the tear streaming down her cheek. "The reason your brother looked like us is because of your father. He wanted to protect him, so he veiled him with the Aesir appearance so that he can fit in. Loki's magic held this spell, and the only way he could be in this Jotun state is if he were to ever be in contact with another Frost Giant, or if he held the Casket of Winters. Or if his powers were stripped from him. He would no longer hold the veil without them, which I feel aren't present. I can fix the spinal fracture, but..."

"You know he dislikes this side of him."

"I know, Thor. But it changes nothing. He is still my son as much as he's your brother."

"The problem is not that. The problem is that he doesn't think that way, and you know that. This would only ruin his state of mind. Mother, he is not fine."

"Let me do my job," she said, "as a parent. Let him wake up, and let him sink in this discovery. No good has ever been done by lying to him."

"You and Father have being doing quite the job for centuries," he snapped.

Frigga sighed and turned back to Loki. She smiled fondly as she grazed his cheek. She started peeling the rigid frosted blanket off him then looked at Volstagg. "Turn him over, dear?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Volstagg complied and she stepped back as the big Asgardian briefly turned Loki's body to lay him on his front. He made sure his face was side-turned.

"Thank you." Frigga then lightly trailed her hand up her son's back, closing her eyes as she chanted a spell.

Thor watched this with relief, and he covered Sif's hand on his shoulder, she squeezed his hand back.


	22. Chapter 22

They all waited, their eyes glued to Loki's figure on the bed. Frigga took a sharp inhale, withdrew her hand at the last word, and opened her eyes.

Thor stepped forward when the carved disturbing bits of bone beneath the skin began slowly aligning back in place. The skin weighing the bone back down so that the unnatural image turned normal, and the spine wasn't so bare anymore.

Frigga leaned down to softly kiss Loki's head. She caressed his hair as she sent a message to his brain to wake him up.

Thor looked at this mother with wide eyes, not ready for the scene that was about to unfold. "Mother..." his voice wavered. He shook his head at her.

Loki stirred, his head shifting, his eyelids fluttering.

Frigga and Thor stayed, the rest didn't. They left the Odinsons to their privacy.

She held Loki's hand in hers gently, making small soothing circles on his palm with her thumb.

He let out a sigh, his fingers twitched. His eyes pried open and blinked fast, vision clearing to the dim moonlit room.

"Loki?"

He blinked slowly. Groaning. Black brows pulling together. He felt a warm hand touching his. He squeezed the hand. "Loki, it's me," he heard his mother's whisper. He sighed, not wanting to be tricked by his own cruel mind.

"Dear," she spoke.

"You can move now," Thor said softly, his strong voice rumbling in low volume.

He frowned and quickly withdrew from the warm hand to use both hands to hoist himself up. When he flattened both hands to the bed to rise up, he was appalled by their dark colour.

He jumped, almost falling over the bed were it not for Frigga catching him.

Thor stepped in when Loki shoved Frigga away hard, causing her to fall. He tried to hold him down as he fought against him. "You are not in your right mind!"

The more he looked at his own thrashing hands, the more shame and anger he felt. "Get, off of me!" He growled, his heart thumping violently against his ribcage. Breathing hard with fast intakes of air, his lungs burning and his vision blurry.

"Loki, please. Stop this, brother!"

Loki's form was trembling, and the fight in him was fading as more tears gathered in his eyes until they spilled out. But his voice was one of rage, "I am not your brother, you insufferable cretin! Get away from me!"

Frigga stepped in. "Loki, you don't have to feel this way."

His arms had been successfully pinned down, his anger being overcast by shame and humiliation. "You can't see me like this," he breathed.

Frigga's face twisted with sorrow. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. You are my son, Loki."

His chin quivered. "Well tell your real son to let go of me."

Her golden brows furrowed.

"Go on."

"First you must promise that you will not fight us."

He stared at her with his red piercing eyes, small drops of tears still leaking from them. His look so sharp it felt like he cut her heart. His black fingernails pressing deeper into his palms. He tried to calm himself.

She looked to Thor. "You may let him go now."

"It is fine, Loki," he said, "we are still family. It isn't about blood or looks." He reluctantly let him go and carefully stepped back, "I promise we do not see you as otherwise."

"You can move now," Frigga said gently, nodding at him, stepping forward. "Go ahead."

Loki immediately sat up to move away from her. He hit the wall behind him. He looked around the frosted room and lowered his eyes down to his fists. He uncurled them. Seeing the bleeding slits his fingernails caused. His mouth twisted at his blue skin, and he shivered with disgust. He let out a small, almost unheard, cry. "I want my normal self back." He looked at his mother.

"Loki..." she cupped his cheek. "This is your natural normal self--"

"Change me!" He bellowed, even Thor flinched.

"I cannot." She shook her head apologetically. "Your magic has to be restored to go back to Aesir form."

"That... that man." He breathed hard again, lungs burning, vision blinded with tears. "He took everything from me," he snarled, "I _vow_ to kill him."

"Loki. Later, alright?" Thor said, "Later. We must check your health now."

His mouth was in a scowl, jaw working.

Frigga pecked his forehead, making him pull away. "Please do not act irrationally, dear."

"Leave. Both of you," he said coldly with a sharp glare. "Get out of my sight."

Thor let out a sigh, his mouth pressed together with a look of disappointment. Frigga held an expression of sorrow and tiredness. Looking down, she exited the room. Thor following after.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"So what happened?" Natasha was the first to ask when Thor had left the room.

"My brother has been healed," he smiled, yet it didn't reach his eyes. He looked tired.

"I'm glad." She glanced at his mother who was alone in the corner of the living room, close to the couch but not letting herself take a seat.

Tony frowned at her statement. "I'm sorry? Where did that come from?"

"Where did what come from?" She asked with an annoyed look.

"Since when did you care about Loki? What do you mean you're 'glad'? And were you the one who took off his braces."

She gave him a massive eye roll.

"I should introduce you to my friends, Natasha," Thor said before Tony spoke again, since Fandral was nudging him to get on with the introductory already, his sights on the beautiful redhead. "This is Sif, a fierce warrior like you in battle. And my other friends the Warriors Three - Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg."

"Oh. Hi," she drawled.

"My Lady," Fandral stepped forward and she raised her brows, "a pleasure," he said, kissing the back of her palm.

Tony snorted. "She's no lady, pal."

"Pleasure's all mine," she said, smoothly pulling her hand away without coming off as rude. She forced a smile and batted her eyelashes.

Tony smiled big.

"You were by Loki's side weren't you?" Fandral asked her.

"Halfway through battle. I'm just glad he's fine now."

"Yes, but he is still in his... Jotun form."

Tony frowned. "Wait, I thought mommy was going to fix everything."

"It is much more complicated, Stark," Thor said with a weary tone.

"I'm hungry," Volstagg said.

"Me, too," Sif said.

Tony groaned. "He's going to freeze the whole damn house then!"

"Where is food?" Hogun asked.

Natasha was happy to help, since she was hungry herself. "I know where food is. Come with me."

Fandral watched her retreating back with appreciation as they all went to the master kitchen. Tony noticed this look on him and gave his shoulder a quick pat. "Been there and almost died, bud."

Thor had noticed his mother finally dropping to the couch, her fingers rubbing her forehead. He went on to approach her.  
"He will be fine, mother," he said, sitting beside her. "I think this will help him finally accept himself. Perhaps it is what he needed."

She smiled sadly. "I worry this will only encourage the anger he has for this Doom. And the hatred he has for himself."

Thor sighed. "It could go both ways. Unless someone is really there with him."

"You."

He shook his head. "No. Not me. He doesn't care what I have to say. I keep being pushed away. Perhaps you."

"You saw him there, Thor. He would reject any advance of mine."

He nodded solemnly.

"That girl..."

Thor frowned, tilting his head. "Who?"

"That one," Frigga tipped her chin at Natasha who was scanning through the refrigerator. She eventually found a boxes of ribs and ignored Tony's protests. "Natasha."

"And how do you know her name?"

"You told me."

His frown deepened. "No, I did not."

"Then your brain must be aging faster than your father's and my mine."

Thor looked at Natasha again. She casually put the ribs in the oven and stole a chocolate muffin from a basket to take a bite.

"What about her?"

"She's quite sweet, isn't she?"

Thor grinned. "More of the opposite, mother."

"Nat, it's morning! You can't eat ribs!" Tony yelled.

Natasha merely arched an eyebrow. "Watch me," she said flippantly, shamelessly eating up the muffin.

Frigga chuckled. "Loki likes her."


	23. Chapter 23

Frigga gave Loki new clothes. A dark green tunic and leather pants, a style he'd wear casually. She simply left them at the foot of his bed with his boots. He didn't even look at her when she'd came in. His eyes out the window, staring at the white bright moonlight. His lips pursed. Arms crossed around himself.  
  


He couldn't be in this ice room any longer otherwise he was going to snap. 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
  


Natasha changed out of her catsuit and slid on casual clothes. It was still dark outside, but it was past four a.m and she sure as hell wasn't going back to bed. She ate a plate of ribs for breakfast with Thor's friends who were probably more chatty than the Avengers. That already got her day started.

She quietly let herself out the tower to take a walk in the streets of New York. She didn't come out unarmed, of course. Her boot armed with a knife and a gun on her person. She walked in the dark every time she needed to think. Sometimes it went somewhere as she gained information to herself. Sometimes it went nowhere, her own thoughts swallowing up on themselves.

Thinking about Loki was like getting out of a maze. One minute you thought you got the answers to the way out only to meet another wall, and getting nowhere. The situation with Loki and the tesseract and the sceptre which had now been stolen was like that. She didn't know where to even start.

There was one thing she knew for sure, though. He'd been used to unleash the army here, and now that he didn't complete his mission, his life may be in danger.

She bit her bottom lip, too familiar with that situation. For so long, and even now, she wouldn't go on five minutes without looking over her shoulder.

As she did now. Looking over her shoulder as she walked down the sidewalk, her cold hands shoved in the pockets of her jacket. She let out a long sigh and looked down at her own shadow formed by the orange streetlamp lights. She took the far left side to walk in the shadows of the tall towering New York buildings. Being in the darkness felt more safe. 

She immediately stopped when she saw a tall figure, the lanky man leaning his hand against the wall, looked like he was bracing himself. His long hair falling like curtains, hiding his face away. She made herself walk again, slower, carefully. She looked over her shoulder, then to her side, and she quickened her pace. The figure was getting clear, and she tilted her head. Frowning. "Loki?" She called out.

His head slowly lifted. He looked at her, with red deep sharp eyes. She stopped instantly, unable to hold back her gasp. Her lips parted. Her eyes trailing down his form.

"Are you scared?"

"I just didn't expect the eyes," she quickly assured.

"Creepy. Aren't they?"

She said with a small tug of her lips, "I'll get used to it."

He let out a breathy chuckle, leaning off the wall.

"You're not bad at all."

"I'm a monster."

She shook her head. "Real monsters don't have to always look like that."

He tilted his head at her. "You've called me a monster more than once, actually."

She genuinely smiled. "Well, I'm choosing to swallow my words now. Especially after what happened in Germany." She urged herself to step closer to him, her eyes taking in this new form of him.

"You're a professional assassin, aren't you?"

She stopped again by his sudden question. "... Yes?"

"Would it be unfitting to ask of you to murder someone?" His black eyebrow did that famous charming arch. There was a dangeorus amusement on his face.

A chill ran up her spine. "It would."

"And why is that?" He slanted close to her. She didn't jerk back. She didn't mind the close proximity, being so close to those eerie yet emotional red eyes.

"You're not my superior. You're not authorized to give me any orders," she answered stoically. "I am a professional, remember?"

"What if I asked you to bend the rules, then? I'll give you a payment." He lowered his head close until she felt his very cool breath fanning on her face. "Information."

She crossed her arms. "Who exactly do you want me to kill?"

He smirked. "That's the fun catch." There was an unmistakable glint to his eyes, and the moonlight couldn't be the only cause.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Me."

Something clutched inside of her, and twisted. "No," was her immediate response.

He chuckled. A cold taunting reaction.

She stepped away from him.

"Why not? You all wanted me dead. Well now your dreams are coming to life, darling."

"I don't work like that."

All the playfulness on his face faded. "Does it matter? As a killer I expect you to do no less but to kill. Are you denying your job description? Perhaps I should search for someone better." He started walking passed her. "Barton would do." She grabbed his arm before he could get any further away and made him turn back around.

She glared up at him.

"Let's play a little game then, shall we? To make this simpler. I play the beast and you play the huntress." He grabbed her and lowered down to slide out her hunter knife from her boot. He snatched her palm open and forced the knife in. "I'm the monster, and you're the monster slayer. You have to kill me."

"What the hell are you doing?" She firmly demanded, trying to pull away from his vice like grip when he clutched onto her hands with the tip of the blade pointing to his throat. She tried to pull back. "Loki. _Stop_ it." She gasped when blood spluttered in her face and winced as the knife pierced further into his throat, until he was gurgling. Her heart was drumming fast. She failed to escape his hold, but she didn't fail on kneeing him hard in the groin. This had an effect. As his grip loosened. She pulled the knife out of him and let it clatter to the floor. His blood flowing out of the wound. "Goddamit," she looked at him tiredly as she said, wiping her face with the sleeve of her jacket. "Loki."

He was leaning against the wall, staring up the sky, the wound slowly closing.

"You're an idiot," she snapped.

"You should be repulsed by me," his voice wavered, throat working as his eyes leaked.

She softened only a little. She sighed. "Well I'm not, Loki." She moved closer to him. "You saved my life. I don't care what anyone says, but that's enough to make me certain about you being a monster or not." She reluctantly raised her arm up to reach her hand to his face. "I..." she curled her hand to a fist and dropped her arm. She looked at his neck. "I don't want you to die."

His eyes finally averted to her. "Too useful? I hold too much information to die, isn't that right?"

"If that's what you want to think, then that's fine." She shrugged. It wasn't her place to change his thoughts. "But I am not going to let you die. Especially by my hand." She scrutinized him carefully. "You're having a little war inside. Between shame with self-loathe and anger with a hunger for vengeance. One, right now, is dominating the other. Isn't it? Your mind is wired and all over the place." She looked down at her boots, frowning slightly. "I understand. I do." She lifted her head back up. "I've been there."

He let out breath, eyebrows furrowed. His jaw locked.

She picked up the hunter knife and groaned at the stain. "Thanks a lot, by the way," she said sarcastically. She tried to shake the blood off. "You could've just went for the gun." She glanced at him to see that he was suppressing laughter. She let out the first laugh before he joined.

She shook her head at him. "Goddamn you."

"I am sorry, Natasha," he apologized with an earnest look.

"You're not forgiven until you let me walk you back to the tower to safety."

"Care this much about me, little spider?"

She smirked.


	24. Chapter 24

Walking back in the tower with Loki whose neck and shirt was stained with blood, her face sprinkled with it and her hands painted in it as well, caused quite the alarm in the main room. Obviously. The moment those elevator doors pried opened.

"Now I must ask how you snuck out my Tower without an alarm going off," Tony started and winced when he saw the blood. His eyes moving between her hands, then his neck. From her face, then to his shirt. "What the hell am I looking at?"

Thor strained himself from rushing to his brother, knowing that he'll only be pushed away. 

Frigga gasped. "Loki."

"I'm fine. I just made her stab me," he said casually. 

Natasha's face remained blank.

Sif cocked her head. "As if that isn't worrisome at all."

"Don't go acting like you care at all about me," Loki stated with a hint of sarcasm and annoyance. 

She glared at him. "Forgive me for actually being concerned for you after all that just happened to you. If you think coming to Midgard for you wasn't enough proof for my care for you, Loki, then that's fine."

He pressed his mouth in a thin line and just sulked.

Natasha's cell in her jeans' pocket rang and she took it out, reading the message on the screen.

"What is it?" Thor asked.

She sighed and pocketed the device again. "We need to go to SHIELD's secret compound. Now." It was an Avengers meeting. Surely Steve and Clint and Banner were alerted where they were. The Warriors Three looked at each other. She stared at all the Asgardians in the room. "You all included."

  
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

 

  
The meeting room's long desk was filled with eight seats, not enough to fit all but the Queen of Asgard and the princes had their seats. The last two standing were Hogun and Volstagg. 

Natasha and Loki sat directly across from each other. She was determined to spend the whole meeting not glancing at him; the blood rushing to her cheeks when she felt his intense red gaze on her. It did prove to be hard to resist her eyes from running past him. 

Steve, who was sitting next to her, was taken aback by his appearance. He was confused, but didn't say anything. It wasn't like he hadn't seen strange skin colours before.

Director Fury came in, serious-faced as always with a hint of anger, his hands folded behind his back. He walked passed the desk and stood in front, his eye averting on each and every one of them, lingering on the Asgardians the most.

"I'm going to make this quick because every second I'm wasting is a second going by for Victor Von Doom to further his schemes. As you all know by now, the sceptre has been stolen by A.I.M soldier boys. With the Tesseract long gone as well, it's safe to say shit's getting started again and fast. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to ask each one of you if you know anybody skilled enough to help expand this team-up. Romanov? Barton?"

She nodded. "I know a few friends of mine. I can get them to come in."

Clint shrugged. "Don't have any friends outside." He kept quiet about Kate Bishop, a talented student of his. She was still a kid. Besides her, he didn't know much people. 

Fury's eye moved passed Steve, who was still new to this era, wouldn't know anybody outside of SHIELD & the Avengers. He looked at Tony who obviously brought up Rhodey who just earned himself a built war suit. 

Bruce shook his head up next. "I don't like people, Fury, you know that."

"So nobody?"

"Nope."

His eye moved on to Thor who smiled. "They're all here. Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral, Sif, my brother and my mother," he listed pointing at every one of them proudly. 

Fury's gaze rested on Loki. The blue skin of his forehead pulling into wrinkles as his face twisted with wry amusement, smirk tugged on his lips. "Of course I know someone. But I'm afraid she's not on this planet."

"She?" Tony spoke up.

A shadow hooded Clint's glare. 

Thor frowned. "You're not talking about--"

"Amora. Yes. I am." He smiled, red eyes wicked. "Problem?"

Sif did a massive eye roll. "Amora is the best you can think of?"

Volstagg laughed. "I thought you and Amora parted on bad terms."

"Bring her here then," Fury said forcefully, glowering at Loki.

"With what magic?" He quirked an eyebrow. "I lost my powers."

"I can help," Frigga spoke up, then she looked at Loki. "She's a criminal but I'm willing to ignore that if only she agrees to help."

He shrugged. "Fine."

She gave him a nod. Then without so much as lifting her finger, golden light shone behind her near Volstagg & Hogun and there appeared a blonde woman out of thin air who stumbled, eyes widening at her sudden change of setting. There was a bottle of booze in her hand. She quickly straightened up, looking at the humans strangely, then at Loki with surprise. She made her bottle disappear. A magician like Loki. Except she was more powerful. "Oh." An Enchantress. She looked at the familiar Asgardian faces. "Is this a serious arrest or can I go back to drowning myself with alcohol?"

"Unfortunately for you, you're either going to help us or you'll find yourself in a dungeon," Sif snapped, her head turned to her. "I wouldn't choose the latter if you want to keep that pretty face of yours intact."

Amora bared her teeth at her as her mouth pulled in a snarl. "I'd forgotten that impudent mouth of yours."

Frigga glared at her. "So what will be your choice?"

Amora looked at her, her expression turning guarded. "Queen Frigga. Finally good to see you again after our recent lovely encounter."

Frigga rolled her eyes.

"I need Agent Barton, Agent Romanov and Romanov's friends to track down A.I.M. . I want that sceptre back or whatever you can get your hands on that's useful. I want blonde woman here and Loki with his brother and Bruce Banner to go after Doom to bring me back the Tesseract. Captain Rogers, Stark, Thor's friends and the Queen of Asgard will go along and try to fight off Doom's army. Any of you need that translated or repeated?" No one answered. He nodded. "Good. Then I should trust you to do your jobs right."

Amora stared at Fury as if he were crazy. She watched him walk out the room in confusion.

"Well that was fast," Bruce finally commented.

"Are you going to finally greet me, luv, or pretend I'm not here?" Loki finally addressed Amora. 

"Did he just call her 'luv' or is there actual gooe in my ears?" Tony spoke in low volumes to his teammates.

"You heard right. Maybe they are lovers," Clint stated.

Natasha's eyebrows pulled together.

The Avengers' eyes trailed down her very tall, slim figure. Underneath her long leaf-skinned jacket was a thin lime tight skin-suit. Her luscious bright blonde waves down over her shoulders. Her pouty pink mouth pulled to a serene smile. Doe big light blue eyes glinting the same way Loki's usually did when he was being wicked or amused.

Amora had looked at Loki again and grinned freely. "Oh, dear. Like I'd forget about you. My, you look even more handsome." She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "Tell me the secret to your new make-up."

Thor grumbled something with displeasure and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, but who is she? Wearing some leaf-made trench coat. Blonde Poison Ivy? Wrong universe, don't you think--" Bruce cut Tony with a nudge to his gut.

Amora let out a laugh at something Loki had said.  
"Want to join a group of misfits to stop a mortal villain?" He asked her with a smug grin. 

"For you, darling? Sure." She shrugged easily.

"Ugh," Clint groaned. "There's two of them."

Natasha couldn't help but laugh.

When they all stood up from their seats and went for the door, Loki remained standing while he stared at Natasha. She only gave him a tight-lipped smile as she moved behind Clint to the door. By then Loki stepped in beside her to walk with her when the exit was close.

"What?" 

"I expected you to do something in this meeting," he spoke seriously.

She studied his face for a moment as they walked out the door but he stopped her on the way out. 

Clint looked over his shoulder when he felt Natasha wasn't with him anymore and frowned when he saw her with Loki just outside the doorframe.

"What did you expect me to do?" She asked Loki.

"I expected you to tell on me. Tell Fury that I'm withholding information."

"I know you are."

"And I was expecting you to out me." He gave her a small smile. "But you didn't."

She stared into his deep red eyes. 

He stared back at her quietly. 

She nodded. "Sure," her voice came out quiet.

"I'll talk to you later."

"About what?" About everything?

"What else would I talk privately to you about?"

Then everything. Fucking finally. 

She nodded. "Okay." She looked at his chest to stop staring at his face. But when he stepped closer, she looked at his face again.   
He was so close to her that she could feel the chill of his Jotun state and see the thick vulnerability in his eyes. Had her heart throbbing. Blood rushed to her cheeks.

He smirked. "You're blushing, darling." His fingers grazed her cheek.

She slapped his hand away. She then pushed him back so that he wasn't so close to her. "Who is she, anyway?"

"Amora?" He grinned. "An ally of mine. Partner in crime, to be exact. Imagine if you and Barton, where instead of heroes, you both were a pair of anti-heroes who did as you pleased."

"Wow. Good to know you have a soulmate." She quirked an eyebrow. 

"Now if you'll excuse me, Natasha." He smiled and walked halfway around her to go back in the meeting room where Amora was. 

  
She caught up with Clint along the way out the compound, the guards opening the glass doors for them to walk out.

"What did you and Loki talk about?"

"Nothing important," she answered curtly. 

He suppressed a groan and instead asked, "So. I'm gonna guess we're heading to Castle's and your, ah, mutant uncle?"

"If we even find them. But I know I'll have a warm welcoming. It's like seeing a big brother and uncle again."

 


	25. Chapter 25

Entering back inside the meeting room, he was met with her questioning look, ever the Enchantress in her green presence with her arms carefully crossing over her chest. He mastered a chuckle, showing his white pearls against the blue.

"Loki," Amora's voice was dead serious. No one was here anymore. There was no reason to play any games anymore. Her blonde brows worked as he proceeded towards her. "What is going on? I was having quite the fun at the tavern must you know."

"These mortals need help to get back the Cosmic Cube from the hands of a villain. Isn't me this time." He stood close to her, appearing confident. "I do hope you were in your right mind when you said you'd do anything for me. Would you follow me even through the fire, darling?"

Her eyes lined him down then back up. "You're too weak to walk through fire."

"You know what I meant."

"Of course, Loki," she spoke with exasperation. "I don't know why you even ask such."

Even she didn't understand he didn't trust her. "Had to make sure." He forced another smile.

She stared at him for long, before speaking the hesitant words, "Are we going to ignore your Jotun state?"

A muscle in his jaw pressed. She saw it work.

Nobody saw it on him; but every second in the eyes of someone, he reminded himself at the back of his head that he was not normal anymore. There was a present pang in his chest of feeling bared to the whole world, his ugly truth for all the eyes. He felt naked.

He balled his hands and walked passed her shoulder, to the large wide window. The sun was going to rise any time soon, the sky lightening up. He touched the glass with his two blue fingers, and his brows furrowed as he dragged them down, forming an frosted trail. He heard the clicks of her heeled boots. She put her hand on his shoulder.

His forehead pressed against the window and he closed his eyes. She squeezed his shoulder.

"You're not crying, are you?" She asked softly, causing a more harsh reaction from him as he spun to her and snapped, "Of course _not_."

She stepped back at his lash out, concern all over her face.

He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to perish that red anger that was threatening to burst out. He had to save it for Doom. He opened his eyes to her. "I'm sorry."

"You are still a fine man, you know," she said flirtiously.

He shook his head and averted his eyes from her. "I doubt that."

"Oh, dear. You're not that hideous." She came close to him again. "Too bad you can't see what I see." She dared to touch his face and cup his cheek. "You've lost your powers," she realized with a gasp. "Oh Loki..." Her touch changed his appearance. The blue being swallowed up by the more finer tone, his normal pale complexion claiming his body once again. The eyes clearing to white from the deep red, his pupils popping out again in their meadow green colour. The engraved lines and patterns on him sunk into the skin and were gone. Her hand trailed down to his chest and his green & gold armour folded around him once again.

He gasped and looked down at his hand.

"My illusion will last only a few hours. Unless you want me to take it off--"

"No," he told her quickly.

She gave him a small smile.

He studied his hand again, relief to him. The negative thoughts were put to sleep as better ones awoken. Of course, there was still something to fear. But at least he was back to his better version. He looked at her again and kissed her forehead.

She watched him carefully, knowing him too well. "What _are_ you up to, really? Who cares about this short lifespan race anyway _._ I don't get it. Let's go away."

He didn't respond to that. He knew there was a SHIELD soldier standing outside the door. Waiting a little longer for them to finish. He had to be careful with his words. "I don't care for any of them, believe me. All I want is to get revenge on the man who stole my powers." Getting back to that, he felt the fury again. His face darkened as his mouth pulled into a snarl.

Amora quickly got angry at the thought of being in Loki's shoes. If anyone ever took _her_ powers away...  
Her dark look matched his own. "We'll kill him."

She said that because she knew he'd do the same for her.

He returned her a look.  
  
  


As they walked out the room, that same SHIELD soldier escorted them to the aircraft hangar station where the others had been led. When they met up with the rest of the group, certain reactions were induced.

Especially from his mother and brother. " _Loki?_ "

He was grinning sharply.

Amora smirked.

Frigga's eyes trailed down his renewed Aesir form, before she looked at the smug blonde next to him who Thor glared at.

Tony clapped his hands. "Alright, fairytale Vikings. How about we get on the jet. Queen, and friends and Rogers? Ready?"

"Yep. I was born ready." Steve was just done tying the bottom of his helmet, his shield magneted behind his back. "As Fury said, Loki and Thor, Bruce and..." He looked at the absolute blonde beauty with a long pause.

She rolled her eyes. "It's Amora."

"Yes! You. Sorry." He cleared his throat and shook his head, clearly a little flustered by the seductive Enchantress. "Excuse me, ma'am. Ah, you four will be taking the other jet-"

"Which I'll be leading you to," Bruce interrupted with a smile and gave Steve a nod. "Just follow me."

The others were directed into the same quinjet by Steve. They all moved passed Sif who remained standing, eyeing both Loki and Amora. "I liked you better before," she retorted to him snidely.

He snarled at her.

She sharply turned away to follow the others.

"I can't stand her," Amora sneered.

"As we can't stand you," Thor grumbled and she glanced at him with amusement as he walked the other direction following Bruce.  
  


-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  
  


Oshawa was where Clint & Natasha were located now. It was noon by then in the very small open city. It wasn't the large intimidating place New York City was, for sure. Small brick business buildings, average town shopping area. Nothing close to glamorous. Now this was what Castle usually settled for.  
  


Clint parked the black Jeep Wrangler SUV into the parking lot near the abandoned old brick building. They had stopped in the more quiet isolated side. The two stepped out the vehicle and shut the doors at once. They heard gunshots. Target practice was more likely the reason.

"Think he's got time?"

Natasha looked at Clint over her shoulder. "Would hope so. Come on."

They came up the steps together and opened the fence gate to get in. She went in first. He followed and closed the lengthy gate.  
The two assassins went the other way around the edge of the two block structure.

They followed the ringing sounds of gunshots until their eyes met the back of a man in all black, automatic rifle in his arms as he perished what was left of the target board.

Clint let out a long whistle, impressed. Natasha crossed her arms and tilted her head.

They waited for a little longer until the man was finished, lowering his weapon, and walked to the steel table with numerous guns laid out. He put the rifle back on there, and finally, he turned to them.  
He knew they were there, just preferred for them to wait a little while so he'd eventually hit them with an impatient, "What?"

Natasha rolled her eyes and dropped her arms to her sides. "You really have a way of greeting us when we haven't heard from your troublesome ass for what?" She looked at Clint who shared her same offended look. He finished for her, "Four years." He looked back at him and crossed his arms. "Hey to you too, dickhead."

The man finally cracked a smile at them. "Alright. Want a warm hello? A sweet welcoming hug from me?"

"Come on, Frank. Wouldn't hurt you," Clint teased.

"Oh it would," Natasha drawled sarcastically.

Frank stared at her attentively. "And how are you, sweetheart?"

His rough masculine voice had her smiling quickly, a little sentimental. Just a little. "I don't know. You tell me, fuck up face," she mocked his always bruised up face - which was bruised up right now. Bleeding cuts here and there, a blue-purple eye she imagined was swollen up a while ago. "I'm the one who has to look at you."

"You really gettin' on my nerves, you know that?"

"Already? So soon?" She grinned wolfishly.

He shook his head as he came to her anyway and pulled her in for a hug. She patted his back before he broke away and gave a Clint a pound hug. Now done with his greetings, he was cold again. "What do you want?"

"Your help," Clint answered.

Frank looked displeased. "I'm busy."

"With what? Shooting cardboard?"

"I am very occupied with a kill list at the moment, jackass. Unless you want to help _me,_ well you two spies came in the wrong damn time." He crossed his arms over the white skull on his black shirt. "I suggest you piss off my property, buddies."

"Jesus," Clint groaned.

"Or what?" Natasha arched a shap red brow. "You owe me, fuck up face. I'll remind you I've given you more than a helping hand in the past."

"And for the fact that we cover your ass," Clint's words slipped in.

Frank looked at them blankly.

"Come on, Frank," she tried a softer tone. "For me?"

He grunted and turned away.

"Pause for a moment. Just a day. I'm sure you have all the time in the world to punish," she added.

He put his hand up at her as he went to his desk, a show of disinterest.

"This asshole," Clint hissed.

"Well? Don't tell me you don't miss it," she replied back to Clint in lowered volume, before approaching Frank's back as he was filling up the guns. "You help us, Castle, you better."

"You threatening me?" He spun to her with the pistol in hand, roughly putting the clip in place.

"I don't know. Do you want it to be a threat, Frank?"

"Well it better not be," he snapped. "Look, I acknowledge that I do owe you. But, like I said, I am _very_ busy," he voiced out his frustration & impatience.

" _Help_ us."

"In return for what _?_ " He slammed the pistol back on the table, before she responded calmly, "A.I.M."

That stopped him.

Clint frowned.

Frank's hard face softened. "What?"

"They're still thriving. Now more than ever."

Frank Castle once upon a time, before becoming The Punisher, worked with the wrong people and betrayed them. They were the reason why he was who he was today.

"Yelena Belova? That psychopath still alive?" He growled.

That name coming out of his threatening mouth triggered something in her. "Yeah," Natasha's voice wavered a little. "Why?" A small frown twisted her brows.

He said nothing.

"I know where she is," she forced herself to speak out smoothly. "She's their leader. I know where those people are." Where Yelena was, they were around.

He clenched his jaw.

Clint let out a sigh, looking up at the sky.

Frank was torn. He must be really busy with something huge to be torn.

"Fine," he eventually gave in.

"Alright," she verbalized her relief.

Clint finally looked at them. "The dickhead agree or what?"

Frank still looked mean and annoyed. Made Natasha's smile broaden, as she answered, "Yeah."

Clint still looked irritated. "We have to find another dickhead then. James Howlett's gonna be easy, at least. Right?"

Natasha shrugged. "Guy would anything for me."  
  
  
  
  


Giving The Punisher a visit followed up with them heading further in Canada and arriving to a bar that was out in a cold deserted area by nighttime.

All three got in, hit with the familiar smell of a dirty bar with spilled beer that accumulated over thousands of days. And sweet pine. And smoke. Weed and tobacco.

And a very distinct smell of ammonia.  
Which meant one thing.

Clint stepped by her side as her eyes scanned carefully around the place, before stopping instantly on someone. Clint's eyes landed on the mutant as well.

Frank minded his own business, out there by the bar ordering a drink.

Clint and Natasha approached the lonely booth with a cigar smoker slouching back. His large beer mug emptied. They stopped at his front.

Natasha crossed her arms. "Logan."

The man immediately opened his eyes in alert.

"Hey," Clint tipped his head.

"Who the fuck are you?" His voice was raspy and he sounded annoyed, his brown eyes narrowed.

She smirked. "Take a better look, _dyadya_."

That nickname had him straightening up, eyes widening from their narrow state. He gave her a proper look, then the name rolled out slowly, "Natalia."

She smiled. He hadn't aged since the last day she saw him. Well, the man had been alive since the American Civil War.

"You've grown..." he said carefully, studying her. "Really grown."

She shrugged.

He slouched again and put his cigar back in his mouth, closing his eyes. "What do you want, kid?"

"Your help."

He let out a long draining sigh.

"So what do you say?"

He swatted his hand at her tiredly. "Fine," he rasped.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-  
  


Into the small eastern European country between Romania and Hungary was Doom's kingdom called Latveria. It was a warm morning in the captial city Doomstadt. Blocks of tall wide white buildings with roofs painted in light rosewood.

They were definitely in a borough, Bruce Banner informed as they looked through the front window of their quinjet (which was specialised with a veil of invisibility) to see the city hall.

This was the pinned place the screens were showing when the tesseract's energy radiation began displaying in clouds on maps again.

"The tesseract keeps appearing and disappearing on the screens for days." Bruce looked at Loki. "Are there any places Victor would go to that you have in mind?"

Loki gulped. He knew exactly where Victor was traveling in and out of. But he bit his tongue to answer that truthfully. Not now, at least. "Certainly not Asgard," he said with a dry chuckle.

Bruce let out a groan and looked down. He briefly scratched his scalp through his curls.

Loki went back to his seat. His mind spinning in circles in deep thought. He ran both hands through his black silk locks and trained his breaths.

Thor leaned his arm against the surface, standing behind the seated pilot as he watched out the window carefully. He paused when he felt Amora so close to him. Then he straightened to step away. All she did was smile and watch him in the corner of her eye.

"You're not ever going to talk to me now?" She started.

"I'm in no mood for conversing with you of all people," Thor spoke with a low detached voice.

"Fine. Perhaps next time." Her blue eyes lingered on him for a moment longer with a naughty smile before walking away to sit next to Loki. "Your brother still hates me," she leaned close to his ear.

His black eyebrows twisted as he scowled with his mouth. "Isn't that what happens when you sleep with someone who finds out your intentions with them aren't as decent as love?"

"What do you know about love?" She snapped.

"I'm talking in Thor's place. He did believe he loved you before realizing that all you've wanted was royalty from him. How do you think he felt? This is exactly why he found love in a mortal woman. They're less harmless anyway." Well, except a redhead he had the misfortune of knowing.

Amora stared at him carefully. "Speaking of a mortal woman..."

His forehead wrinkled.

"Who's that one with bright flames for hair? And why couldn't you take your eyes off of her in the meeting room, I wonder?"

"What about her?" He drawled with a deadpan look.

"I'm just asking."

"You're not just asking. You want to know if Thor's actions are repeating themselves with me."

"And?" She tilted her head.

Loki took a deep breath in, staring into space.

Amora let out a laugh. "Loki, my my. Has this girl actually piqued your interest?"

"Why are you so worried, anyway?" He snapped. "She's a Midgardian. What would I be doing with a Midgardian?"

"It's a curse, can't you see? The Odinson sons were doomed to fall for these alien female creatures since they were bor--"

"Firstly, I'm no Odinson. Thought that much was obvious with my heritage. And second of most, I do not like your wording. Natasha is no creature."

" _Natasha_. What a lovely name."

Loki leaned back and crossed his arms.

"It's too bad she's a Midgardian," she said with feigned sadness.

"As bad as I am a Frost Giant then. Maybe we are meant to be," he said sarcastically.

"You're too intelligent and good-looking for her, Loki."

Now that made him laugh. "More the other way around, I believe."

"Well. We all have our opinions, darling."


End file.
